IMBiiiUiiuiTiiri/iiyiiiwiii 


hM 


I  ►  -F^^^2>::^cr'  T>#^/^1/^  "*>OuE/'^'^  1 

ilNDIAN  BMVES; 


I^KATE  WCHNSOJ  SWEETSEr"}! 

w 


»tmminaumi»mM> 


mt!0i»9Mi9  3sm»m 


Books  by 

KATE  DICKINSON 

SWEETSER 

BOOK    OF    INDIAN 

BRAVES 

TEN 

BOYS   FROM 

DICKENS 

TEN 

GIRLS  FROM 

DICK-ENS 

TEN 

BOYS    FROM 

HISTORY 

TEN  GIRLS  FROM 

HISTORY 

llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllli 


■li 

•■ 

ivH 

1 

f'Vm 

1 

^ 

:w 

i  -^ 

4 

9m  -^ 

^ 

1 

B1 

tJi 

i 

ySs^ 

r^ 

^'s.^. 

L^ 

BiiKVr^Np^^^^^^ 

CHIEF   JOSEPH:     PATRIOT    OF   THE    N  EZ    PERCES 


BOOK   OF 

INDIAN 
BRAVES 


BY 
KATE  DICKINSON  SWEETSER 

ILLUSTRATED   BY 
GEORGE    ALFRED    WILLIAMS 


HARPERS'  BROTHERS  PUBLISHERS 

NEW     YORK      AND      LONDON 

MCMXI I  I 


COPYRIGHT,    1913.    BY    HARPER   a    BROTHERS 


PRINTED   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES   OF   AMERICA 


PUBLISHED   SEPTEMBER,    1913 


I-N 


CONTENTS 

CHAP.  PAGE 

I.  Powhatan:    Emperor  of  Thirty  Tribes 3 

II.  Osceola:   War-chief  of  the  Seminoles       33 

III.  Sequoyah:    the  Cherokee  Cadmus 55 

IV.  King  Philip:    Hero  of  the  Wampanoags 75 

V.  Joseph:    Patriot  of  the  Nez  Percys 105 

VI.  Sitting  Bull:    Medicine-man  of  the  Sioux 131 

VII.  Pontiac:    Conspirator  of  the  Ottawas 155 


M511570 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Chief  Joseph:    Patriot  of  the  Nez  Perces      ....  Frontispiece 

Pocahontas  Saves  Captain  John  Smith Facing  p.    lo 

Osceola:   War-chief  of  the  Seminoles **        34 

Sequoyah:  the  Cherokee  Cadmus **        56 

The  Death  of  King  Philip *'       100 

Sitting  Bull:   Medicine-man  of  the  Sioux       ....  **       132 

PoNTiAc's  Attack  on  Detroit *'       162 


POWHATAN 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 


POWHATAN:  EMPEROR  OF  THIRTY  TRIBES 

POWHATAN,  the  great  Werowance,  or  Ruler,  over  thirty 
tribes,  was  troubled  because  of  disquieting  reports  which 
had  been  brought  to  him. 

Not  only  had  a  settlement  of  pale-faced  strangers  been 
discovered  scarcely  two  days'  journey  down  the  Chicka- 
hominy  River  from  Weremocomoco,  but  half  a  dozen  of  the 
"  pale-faces"  had  been  seen  navigating  the  river  in  a  strange- 
looking  craft,  clearing  away  fallen  trees  as  they  went,  to 
free  the  river  for  their  progress. 

Lurking  in  underbrush  and  woodland  by  the  water's  edge, 
more  than  two  hundred  savages  watched  the  boat  with 
straining  eyes  when  it  made  a  landing,  and  immediately  sur- 
rounded the  band  of  Englishmen,  as  the  strangers  proved 
to  be. 

They  wore  ragged  clothing,  such  as  the  Indians  had  never 
before  seen,  and  their  faces  and  bodies  were  so  thin  and 
white  that  the  stalwart  red  men  looked  at  them  in  scorn; 
and  when  the  Englishmen  held  out  their  swords  and  guns 
with  gestures  showing  a  desire  to  exchange  them  for  food, 
the  Indians  grunted  in  derision  of  such  weaklings  and  offered 
only  a  piece  of  bread  or  a  handful  of  corn,  as  if  to  say, 
"This  is  plenty  for  such  as  you!" 

? 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

But  they  misjudged  the  strength  and  determination  of 
the  leader  of  the  white  men,  who  suddenly  let  fly  his  mus- 
ket, when  in  terror  the  Indians  fled  to  the  woods,  leaving 
the  pale-faces  to  march  into  the  Indian  village  on  the 
river-bank.  There  they  found  great  piles  of  corn,  which, 
however,  they  dared  not  touch  for  fear  of  an  attack — and  the 
fear  was  well  grounded. 

Suddenly  with  hideous  cries  sixty  or  seventy  savages, 
their  heads  and  shoulders  brilliantly  painted,  and  wearing 
only  loin-cloths  of  skins  or  plaited  grasses,  came  dancing 
and  singing  out  of  the  woods,  carrying  their  sacred  image, 
or  Okee,  before  them.  They  charged  on  the  strangers,  armed 
with  clubs,  shields,  and  bows  and  arrows,  but  were  repulsed 
with  such  a  shower  of  English  bullets  that  their  god  fell 
over,  and  many  of  the  Indians  lay  sprawling  on  the  ground, 
while  the  remainder  quickly  disappeared  again  in  the  woods. 
After  a  hurried  consultation,  having  decided  it  was  unwise 
to  make  enemies  of  these  strange  men,  they  sent  a  messenger 
out  of  the  forest  with  offers  of  peace  and  to  ask  for  the 
restoration  of  their  idol. 

This  was  the  EngHshman's  chance,  and  Captain  John 
Smith,  their  leader,  stepping  forward,  stood  face  to  face 
with  the  dark-skinned  messenger,  and  by  dint  of  many 
gestures  made  himself  understood. 

**  If  you  will  send  six  unarmed  men  to  load  my  boat  with 
provisions,  I  will  return  your  Okee  and  give  you  beads  and 
copper,"  he  said,  holding  out  samples  of  these  wares  as  he 
spoke,  adding,  **and  I  will  also  be  your  friend.  Say  this  to 
your  comrades  while  we  await  their  answer." 

They  had  not  long  to  wait.  The  messenger  disappeared 
in  the  woods  and  presently  came  back  surrounded  by  a 
whooping,  dancing  crowd  of  Indians,  carrying  wild  fowl 
and  bread,  in  exchange  for  which  the  Englishmen  gave  the 

4 


POWFIATAN 

trinkets  they  had  promised,  and  so  dehghted  were  the  child- 
like savages  that  when  the  white  men  took  leave  of  them 
they  were  all  singing  and  dancing  in  uproarious  token  of 
friendship  for  the  departing  ones,  although  probably  re- 
lieved to  have  them  go. 

All  this  was  told  to  Powhatan,  who  was  then  at  his 
favorite  dwelling-place,  Weremocomoco,  on  the  York  River. 
In  silence  he  received  the  communication,  and  gave  no  visible 
sign  of  the  alarm  it  aroused  in  him,  yet  his  heart  was  heavy 
with  forebodings.  Why  had  these  strangers  come  to  the 
haunts  of  the  red  men.?  Would  they  be  friends  or  foes  to 
the  Indian  .f^ 

These  questions  were  scornfully  set  aside,  for  was  not 
he,  Powhatan,  the  powerful  Werowance  over  all  the  tribes 
of  Powhatans,  to  whom  all  paid  tribute  of  "skinnes,  beads, 
copper,  pearls,  deere,  turkies,  wild  beasts,  and  corne"? 
Were  not  his  commands  such  as  no  one  in  his  dominion 
dared  disobey.?  Did  not  all  his  people  give  him  both  obedi- 
ence and  adoration.?  Further  than  that,  had  he  not  a 
fleet  of  which  to  be  proud,  including,  as  it  did,  a  collection 
of  dugouts,  large  and  small,  which  was  second  to  none 
belonging  to  alien  tribes? 

And,  too,  his  body-guard  was  one  such  as  would  strike 
awe  and  fear  to  the  heart  of  any  invading  foe,  for  every 
night  at  the  four  corners  of  his  dwelling  four  sentinels  were 
stationed,  and  at  every  half-hour  one  of  the  guard  would 
make  a  low  call  by  shaking  his  lips,  with  his  fingers  between 
them,  whereupon  every  other  sentinel  would  answer  in  turn; 
and  if  any  failed  to  reply,  then  an  officer  would  go  forth 
and  beat  the  delinquent  severely. 

More  than  this,  if  these  strangers  should  attempt  to  attack 
his  person,  he  had  a  half-dozen  residences  to  which  he  could 
flee. 

5 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

Weremocomoco  could  be  abandoned  for  Orapakes,  and 
that  in  turn  for  Powhatan,  and  by  flight  and  by  war  surely 
he  could  maintain  the  dignity  and  rights  of  the  Indians, 
so  long  as  he  had  a  warrior  left  to  help  him  wage  war  or 
keep  peace.  But  let  the  white  man  once  seriously  encroach 
on  Indian  territory,  and  there  would  be  trouble  wide-spread 
and  devastating  for  him  and  all  his  pale-faced  comrades! 

So  mused  Powhatan,  even  while  receiving  the  disconcert- 
ing news  from  a  breathless  young  warrior;  then,  rising  and 
drawing  his  great  skin  mantle  around  him  with  proud 
dignity,  he  waved  his  informers  back,  and,  stalking  away 
through  the  woods  with  such  dignified  bearing  as  befitted 
the  leader  of  his  people,  hastily  called  together  his  oldest 
and  wisest  chiefs  to  discuss  means  of  protection  against  a 
possible  danger.  Far  into  the  night  the  heart  of  the  forest 
glowed  with  the  red  flare  of  the  council-fire,  and  shadowy 
forms  gathered  around  it,  talking  long  and  solemnly  about 
the  white  men's  intentions.  When  at  last  the  braves  took 
their  silent  way  back  to  wigwam  and  mat-house,  it  had 
been  decided  to  strengthen  Powhatan's  body-guard  from 
between  forty  and  fifty  of  the  tallest  men  in  his  dominions 
to  several  hundred;  to  keep  a  number  of  fleet-footed  young 
braves  in  daily  touch  with  the  settlement  of  strangers  down 
the  river,  and  to  instruct  all  the  young  men  of  the  tribes 
that  whenever  a  white  man  was  seen  near  an  Indian  settle- 
ment there  was  to  be  instant  alarm  and  pursuit.  Then 
let  the  pale-faces  do  what  they  would — Powhatan  and  his 
warriors  were  ready  for  them! 

Meanwhile  the  little  band  of  English  colonists,  near  the 
mouth  of  the  river  James,  were  busy  erecting  such  cabins 
as  were  suitable  to  live  in,  and  making  all  sorts  of  rude 
articles  of  furniture  which  were  necessary  for  use  in  their 
rough  forest  life.     Among  the  ruling  spirits  of  the  colony 

6 


POWHATAN 

were  Captain  Newport,  Captain  Bartholomew  Gosnold,  and 
Captain  John  Smith,  the  latter  a  soldier  of  fortune  who  had 
voyaged  around  the  world,  been  in  captivity  among  the 
Turks,  and  experienced  all  sorts  of  thrilling  adventures 
before  undertaking  the  trip  to  the  new-found  world  of 
America,  and  he  it  was  whose  enthusiasm  and  resources 
kept  the  colonists  from  sinking  into  the  mire  of  despondency 
in  those  early  days  when  provisions  ran  low,  the  location 
of  the  settlement  proved  so  unhealthy  that  daily  new  graves 
were  dug,  and  all  nature  seemed  conspiring  to  make  the 
attempt  to  colonize  Virginia  a  complete  failure.  Although 
by  reason  of  his  blunt  way  of  speaking  and  of  his  per- 
emptory manner  in  setting  every  one  to  work  Captain 
Smith  was  not  popular  among  the  settlers,  yet  all  looked 
to  him  to  take  the  initiative  in  matters  pertaining  to  the 
welfare  of  the  colony,  and,  provisions  being  scarce,  he  went 
on  a  voyage  of  discovery  up  the  Chickahominy  River,  as 
we  have  seen,  returning  with  a  boat -load  of  provisions. 
Instead  of  applauding  him  for  this,  the  idle  and  unruly — of 
whom  there  were  a  large  number  in  the  colony — blamed 
him  for  not  having  followed  the  river  to  its  source  and 
found  a  possible  store  of  gold  or  a  passage  to  the  South 
Sea,  which  they  were  constantly  expecting  to  discover. 

Captain  Smith  bore  their  reproaches  and  taunts  for  only 
a  short  time,  then  in  midwinter  he  set  off  again,  taking 
with  him  a  sufficient  crew  to  manage  a'  barge,  also  a  lighter 
boat  which  could  navigate  the  narrower  streams  of  the  upper 
Chickahominy.  As  before,  he  cut  away  trees  to  clear  a 
passage  for  the  smaller  boat,  and  in  it  worked  his  way  twenty 
miles  up  the  river,  where  he  was  rewarded  by  discovering 
in  the  "slashes,"  as  swampy  meadows  are  called  in  Virginia, 
not  gold  or  a  passage  to  the  South  Sea,  but  the  headwaters 
of  the  river  for  which  he  was  looking. 

7 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

During  his  absence  the  men  he  had  left  in  charge  of  the 
barge  were  killed  by  a  band  of  savages,  who  later  captured 
the  brave  captain  himself,  and  led  him  in  a  triumphal 
procession  from  town  to  town,  to  be  stared  at  with  curious 
eyes  by  savages  who  had  never  before  seen  a  white  man. 

Marching  Indian,  file,  the  long  line  of  fierce  warriors, 
with  their  heads  and  shoulders  gaily  painted,  wound  its 
way  through  meadow,  field,  and  forest,  Opechancanough,  a 
brother  of  Powhatan,  marching  in  the  center,  with  the 
English  firearms  carried  before  him  as  trophies.  Captain 
Smith  followed,  led  by  three  stalwart  Indians,  who  gripped 
him  by  the  arm,  while  six  other  men  marched  on  either 
side  in  file  as  flank  guards  to  prevent  his  escape. 

In  this  way  the  long  line  of  braves  tramped  on  to  the 
forest  settlement  of  Orapakes,  then  farther,  to  the  residence 
of  Opechancanough  at  Pamunkey,  winding  its  slow  way 
to  the  dwelling  of  Opitchipan,  another  brother  of  Powhatan, 
and  more  than  once  during  the  march  Captain  Smith's 
life  was  in  danger.  At  last  a  piece  of  startHng  news  was 
passed  from  Indian  to  Indian,  and  finally  interpreted  to 
the  prisoner. 

Powhatan,  the  great  Werowance  over  thirty  tribes,  had 
sent  his  command.  He  wished  to  see  this  white  leader 
who  had  been  taken  captive. 

At  once  the  procession  of  warriors  turned  toward 
Weremocomoco,  and  when  they  came  in  sight  of  the  settle- 
ment they  were  surrounded  by  a  crowd  of  eager  savages 
who  had  gathered  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  pale-faced 
prisoner.  After  a  long  halt  came  the  summons  to  Powhatan's 
presence,  and  a  few  moments  later  the  wary  old  Werowance 
received  the  white-faced  captain. 

With  majestic  dignity  and  inscrutable  reserve,  Powhatan 
bowed  a  welcome,  looking  every  inch  a  ruler  as  he  reclined 

8 


POWHATAN 

on  a  seat  something  like  a  bedstead,  with  a  great  robe  of 
racoon-skins  thrown  over  his  stalwart  figure.  On  either  side 
of  him  sat  a  young  woman,  and  ranged  along  each  wall  of 
the  building  were  two  rows  of  other  women  in  the  rear, 
and  two  rows  of  men  in  the  front.  All  had  their  heads  and 
shoulders  painted  red,  while  some  of  the  women  wore  the 
white  down  of  birds  on  their  garments  and  some  had  long 
chains  of  white  beads  about  their  necks. 

As  the  prisoner  stood  before  Powhatan  there  was  a 
mighty  shout,  and  immediately  the  Queen  of  Appamattock, 
an  Indian  woman,  with  an  elaborately  decorated  person 
and  garment,  brought  water  to  wash  his  hands,  while 
another  followed  with  a  bunch  of  feathers  to  serve  the 
purpose  of  a  towel. 

Then  followed  an  elaborate  feast  and  a  long  debate 
among  Powhatan's  councilors,  while  Captain  Smith  waited 
to  know  his  fate. 

The  debate  was  over.  Powhatan  had  given  his  commands. 
Solemnly  two  Indians  rolled  two  large  stones  before  the 
great  Ruler,  and,  laying  rough  hands  on  Captain  Smith, 
dragged  him  to  Powhatan's  feet,  forcing  his  head  down  on 
the  stones.  Brave  as  he  was,  the  Captain  trembled.  The 
clubs  of  the  stalwart  Indians  were  raised,  ready  to  beat 
out  his  brains. 

There  was  the  sound  of  rushing  feet,  a  slight  girlish 
figure  shot  through  the  watching  crowd,  fell  on  her  knees 
before  Powhatan,  and  pleaded  for  the  Captain's  life.  It 
was  Pocahontas,  Powhatan's  "dearest  daughter,"  a  girl  of 
twelve,  who,  with  her  first  look  at  Smith's  white  face  and 
expressive  eyes,  had  thrilled  with  interest  in  this  man  of  a 
different  race  from  her  own,  who,  she  instinctively  felt, 
was  high  above  her  people  in  intelligence.  Should  an  Indian 
kill  him  as  they  kill  beasts  of  prey?  Never!  She  clung  to 
2  9 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

Powhatan's  robe  with  words  of  entreaty,  but  Powhatan  did 
not  notice  her.  Again  the  clubs  were  raised.  With  a  shriek 
Pocahontas  ran  to  Smith's  side,  clasped  his  head  in  her 
arms,  and  laid  her  own  dark  head  above  his.  To  kill  him 
would  be  to  kill  his  child,  and  Powhatan  surrendered. 
Holding  up  a  restraining  hand  to  the  men  with  uplifted  clubs, 
he  uttered  a  solemn  decree.  The  prisoner  should  live  to 
make  hatchets  for  him  and  belts  for  his  daughter,  he  an- 
nounced— an  evident  compromise  with  his  dignity  as  a  ruler 
and  his  keen  interest  in  this  man  of  an  alien  race. 

One  quick  glance  passed  between  Captain  Smith  and 
Pocahontas,  and  the  young  girl's  eyes  grew  starry  with 
exultation  as  she  ran  back  among  the  throng,  filled  with  a 
determination  to  be  forever  the  loyal  friend  of  the  white 
men;  and  loyally  did  she  keep  that  vow. 

Although  Powhatan  had  twenty  sons  and  eleven  daugh- 
ters, none  of  them  had  the  place  in  his  affection  held  by  this 
''dearest  daughter,"  Pocahontas,  whose  real  name,  Matoake, 
was  concealed  from  the  English  because  of  an  Indian 
superstition  that  if  they  knew  her  real  name  they  might  do 
her  harm.  So  she  became  known  as  Pocahontas,  or 
"playful,"  and  at  the  time  she  rescued  the  Captain  she 
was  a  slight  slip  of  a  girl,  whose  dusky  face  showed  a  finely 
chiseled  nose,  eyes  full  of  charm,  whether  sparkling  with 
joy  or  melting  with  tenderness,  and  hair  black  as  a  crow's 
wing,  with  never  a  curl  in  it,  adorned  with  a  drooping  white 
plume,  in  sign  of  being  the  daughter  of  a  great  ruler.  She 
wore  a  robe  of  soft  doeskin  girdled  at  the  waist;  glistening 
on  her  shapely  feet  were  beaded  moccasins;  and  there  was 
a  glint  of  coral  bracelets  on  her  slim  arms.  Altogether, 
from  hair  to  toe  the  maiden  radiated  a  charm  none  could 
gainsay,  and  to  the  man  whose  life  she  saved  she  looked 
no  less  than  beautiful. 

lO 


POCAHONTAS    SAVES    CAPTAIN    JOHN     SMITH 


POWHATAN 

For  two  days  after  pardoning  him,  Powhatan  kept  the 
Captain  a  prisoner,  then  he  was  led  to  a  council-house  in 
the  dense  woods  and  seated  on  a  mat  before  the  fire,  when 
suddenly  Powhatan  appeared  before  him,  dressed  fan- 
tastically, and  followed  by  two  hundred  warriors  as  much 
begrimed,  painted,  and  decorated  as  himself.  They  all 
rushed  in  and  surrounded  Smith,  who  by  this  time  expected 
danger  at  any  moment,  and  told  him  that  they  were  his 
friends,  and  that  he  was  to  return  to  Jamestown  for  the 
purpose  of  sending  back  to  Powhatan  two  great  guns  and 
a  grindstone,  for  which  favors  Powhatan  would  give  him 
the  country  of  Capahowsick,  and  forever  honor  him  as  his 
own  son. 

This  was  good  news  to  the  Captain,  whose  only  desire 
was  to  return  to  the  colony,  and  at  once  he  was  allowed  to 
set  out  for  Jamestown,  with  an  escort  of  twelve  Indians,  who 
were  to  carry  back  the  weapons  and  grindstone  to  Powhatan. 

Arriving  at  the  English  colony,  clever  Captain  Smith 
at  once  showed  the  Indians  two  long  cannon  purposely 
loaded  with  stones,  which  were  discharged  among  the 
icicle -laden  branches  of  the  trees  to  terrify  the  savages. 
They  were  then  told  to  lift  the  grindstone,  which  they 
could  scarcely  move,  and  when  Captain  Smith  offered  to 
send  back  beads  and  copper  instead  of  the  desired  articles 
the  offer  was  thankfully  accepted.  The  guides  went  happily 
off  with  their  trinkets,  and  for  several  months  afterward 
only  friendly  Indians  were  seen  at  the  settlement. 

Then  Captain  Smith,  and  Captain  Newport,  who  had 
just  arrived  from  a  visit  to  England  and  was  very  anxious 
to  see  the  famous  Indian  ruler,  made  a  trip  together  to 
Weremocomoco.  Powhatan  received  them  in  state,  lying 
on  his  bed  of  mats,  clad  in  a  magnificent  fur  mantle,  with 
his  brilliantly  embroidered  pillow  of  skins  lying  beside  him, 

II 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

and,  as  usual,  he  was  flanked  by  his  body-guard  of  stalwart 
armed  young  Indians  and  by  many  other  men  and  women, 
who  sang  and  danced  in  the  EngUshmen's  honor. 

Captain  Newport  then  suggested  that  he  had  brought 
articles  with  him  to  barter  for  corn,  and  urged  Powhatan 
to  trade  with  him,  but  the  great  Werowance  replied  loftily: 

"Captain  Newport,  it  is  not  agreeable  to  my  greatness 
to  truck  in  this  peddling  manner  for  trifles.  I  am  a  great 
Werowance,  and  I  esteem  you  the  same.  Therefore,  lay  me 
down  all  your  commodities,  what  I  like  I  will  take,  and  in 
return  you  shall  have  what  I  conceive  to  be  a  fair  value.'' 

Captain  Smith  shook  his  head,  to  warn  Newport  of  the 
risk  he  would  incur  if  he  accepted  the  offer,  but  Newport 
refused  to  take  advice,  and  his  wares  were  spread  out  for 
Powhatan's  inspection.  With  an  air  of  indiff'erence  the 
chief  inspected  each  article,  selected  such  as  he  liked  best, 
then  valued  his  own  corn  at  such  a  high  price  that  Newport 
only  received  four  bushels  where  he  had  counted  on  twenty 
hogsheads — and  Powhatan  had  proved  his  shrewdness  at 
bargaining! 

Nettled  at  his  companion's  lack  of  diplomacy,  Captain 
Smith  now  tried  his  hand  at  trading.  Taking  up  some  blue 
beads,  he  so  held  them  that  they  glittered  in  the  strong 
light  and  at  once  attracted  Powhatan's  attention. 

"What  will  you  take  for  them?"  he  asked. 

Smith  shook  his  head.  "I  cannot  part  with  them,"  he 
said,  "being  composed  of  a  rare  substance  of  the  color  of 
the  sky  and  only  fit  to  be  worn  by  the  greatest  kings  of  the 
world;  they  are  too  valuable  to  be  bartered  in  ordinary 
trade." 

Powhatan's  eyes  gleamed.  Jewels  fit  for  a  king  were  the 
ornaments  for  Powhatan.  He  oflPered  more  corn,  but  Smith 
only  shook  his  head.    More  and  more  eager  grew  Powhatan, 

12 


POWHATAN 

and  finally  offered  between  two  and  three  hundred  bushels 
of  corn  for  a  pound  or  two  of  the  beads.  With  apparent 
reluctance  Smith  closed  the  bargain,  Newport  gazing  at 
him  in  wide-eyed  admiration. 

Opechancanough  then  arrived,  and  a  similar  bargain  was 
made  with  him.  Blue  beads  soon  became  so  valuable  that 
none  but  the  great  Werowances  and  their  wives  dared  wear 
them,  for  they  were  considered  to  be  symbols  of  royalty, 
and  by  them  Captain  Smith  had  obtained  his  supply  of 
corn. 

But  it  was  not  alone  on  beads  that  Powhatan  fixed  longing 
eyes.  Daily  his  desire  for  English  weapons  and  tools  grew 
deeper,  and  he  determined  to  obtain  them  at  any  price. 
As  a  result  of  deep  deliberation  he  sent  Newport,  who  was 
returning  to  England,  a  present  of  twenty  fine  turkeys, 
requesting  in  return  as  many  swords;  and  gleeful  he  was 
when  his  messengers  brought  back  the  coveted  arms 
from  the  good-natured  Captain.  At  once  he  despatched 
another  messenger  to  Captain  Smith,  with  a  similar  gift 
and  request,  but  this  time  the  messenger  returned  empty- 
handed! 

Powhatan  was  angry,  and,  calling  together  his  councilors 
and  the  younger  warriors  of  the  tribe,  he  gave  orders  to 
take  firearms  from  the  colonists  wherever  and  in  whatever 
manner  they  could  be  taken,  saying  that  the  Indians  must 
have  a  supply  of  them  at  once  for  their  own  safety. 

A  few  days  later  Smith  caught  a  party  of  marauding 
Indians  outside  the  Jamestown  fort,  skulking  away  with 
swords  they  had  stolen,  and  had  them  promptly  whipped 
and  imprisoned.  Powhatan,  thus  checkmated,  became  the 
victim  of  fierce  jealousy,  and  a  jealous  Indian  is  the  most 
vindictive  creature  in  the  world. 

He  brooded  long  on  how  to  gain  his  end,  and  decided 

13 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

that  through  Pocahontas  he  could  best  accomplish  it;  so, 
calUng  her  to  him,  he  bade  her  go  to  Jamestown,  taking 
messengers  with  corn  and  wild  fowl,  and  to  beg  Captain 
Smith's  pardon  for  the  injury  done  by  '"some  of  his  dis- 
orderly warriors,"  also  to  ask  that  those  Indians  be  freed 
this  time  on  their  good  behavior. 

With  downcast  eyes  and  demure  docility  the  maiden 
accepted  the  charge,  and  little  did  her  father  dream  that  a 
trip  to  the  English  settlement  was  no  novelty  to  her,  for 
since  the  day  when  she  saved  Smith's  life  she  had  made 
many  secret  visits  to  the  colonists,  carrying  them  needed 
provisions  and  winning  the  admiration  and  respect  of  the 
Englishmen  by  her  gracious  loyalty. 

Captain  Smith  received  both  guest  and  gifts  with  cour- 
teous thanks,  and  after  a  brief  talk  with  Pocahontas,  in 
the  presence  of  all  the  colonists,  he  liberated  the  captured 
Indians,  "only  for  the  sake  of  Pocahontas,"  so  he  said, 
and  friendly  relations  between  the  Indians  and  white  men 
were  again  resumed  for  a  time. 

Then  Captain  Newport  came  back  again  from  England, 
bringing  with  him  presents  with  which  he  hoped  to  make 
Powhatan  a  more  loyal  ally  of  the  English.  Among  the 
gifts  were  a  splendid  basin  and  pitcher,  a  bedstead,  bed 
linen,  and  a  real  crown,  sent  by  King  James  himself,  under 
the  absurd  idea  that  by  its  glitter  and  by  the  pomp  of  a 
coronation  ceremony  the  old  chief  could  be  more  easily 
made  a  royal  subject. 

Powhatan  must  be  invited  to  Jamestown  to  receive  his 
gifts.  There  was  also  need  of  a  boat-load  of  corn.  As 
usual.  Captain  Smith  volunteered  his  services  for  the  expe- 
dition to  Weremocomoco,  and  departed,  taking  with  him 
four  companions.  To  their  disappointment,  Powhatan  was 
absent,  visiting  a  neighboring  tribe,  but  pretty  Pocahontas 

14 


POWHATAN 

greeted  them  with  eager  cordiaHty,  and  at  once  despatched 
messengers  for  her  father,  while  she  and  her  attendants 
entertained  their  guests  in  a  remarkable  way. 

Having  been  seated  in  an  open  field  near  the  edge  of  the 
woods,  they  heard  a  hideous  noise,  and  quickly  seized  their 
weapons,  fearing  an  attack.  Instead,  Pocahontas,  flitting 
like  a  fawn,  ran  out  of  the  woods  with  small  deer  antlers 
on  her  head  and  a  robe  of  otter-skin  around  her  shoulders, 
while  another  fell  from  her  waist  down  to  her  beaded  mocca- 
sins. At  her  back  hung  a  quiver  of  arrows,  and  she  carried 
a  small  cedar  bow  on  her  arm. 

Flourishing  this  around  her  head,  she  flitted  back,  still 
laughing,  to  the  woods  and  soon  appeared  again,  leading  a 
party  of  girls  singing  and  dancing,  their  bodies  painted  with 
many  colors,  wearing  girdles  of  green  leaves  from  the  waist 
down,  all  horned  like  Pocahontas  and  brandishing  swords 
and  pot-sticks. 

For  an  hour  they  danced  in  a  ring  around  the  fire,  laughing 
and  singing  and  crying  out;  then  they  danced  away,  and 
presently  came  back  without  their  strange  costumes,  to 
spread  a  lavish  supper  for  the  colonists,  after  which  they 
all  escorted  the  Englishmen  back  to  their  wigwams,  lighting 
their  path  with  torches  and  crying  out  a  merry  farewell 
when  they  parted  from  their  guests  for  the  night. 

Powhatan  arrived  on  the  next  day  with  his  impressive 
body-guard,  and  Smith  gave  the  invitation  to  visit  James- 
town, not  only  to  receive  his  gifts,  but  to  talk  over  the 
project  of  conducting  a  campaign  with  the  English  against 
the  Monacans,  a  nation  with  whom  Powhatan  was  at  war; 
also  to  discuss  an  expedition  to  discover  the  South  Sea,  which 
the  English  had  been  led  to  believe  was  but  a  short  distance 
back  from  Weremocomoco. 

There  was  a  long  silence.    Not  a  trace  of  expression  was 

15 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

on  Powhatan's  inscrutable  face.     Rising,  he  threw  an  end  of 
his  robe  over  his  shoulder  with  the  air  of  a  haughty  monarch. 

**If  your  King  has  sent  me  presents,"  he  said,  "I  also 
am  a  King.  Here  I  will  stay  eight  days  to  receive  them. 
Your  father  [meaning  Newport]  is  to  come  to  me,  not  I 
to  him,  nor  yet  to  your  fort.  ...  As  for  the  Monacans,  I 
can  avenge  my  own  injuries.  As  for  any  salt-water  beyond 
the  mountains,  the  relations  you  have  had  are  false." 

Taking  up  a  stick,  he  began  to  draw  a  map  of  the  country, 
as  he  knew  it,  on  the  ground,  but  he  would  converse  no 
further,  and  Captain  Smith  was  obliged  to  return  to  James- 
town with  the  old  Werowance's  refusal  to  visit  the  colonists. 

Not  wishing  to  offend  his  Majesty  King  James,  Newport 
felt  it  necessary  in  some  way  to  present  the  crown  and 
carry  out  the  coronation  ceremony;  so  he  and  Captain  Smith, 
taking  with  them  the  gifts,  went  back  to  Weremocomoco. 
Powhatan  received  them  graciously,  and  they  presented  him 
with  the  bedstead  and  basin  and  pitcher,  in  which  novelties 
he  showed  a  keen  delight.  Then  Captain  Smith  tried  to 
make  him  put  on  the  coronation  robes,  but  with  haughty 
dignity  he  drew  away,  wrapped  his  own  mantle  about  him, 
and  refused  to  exchange  it  for  the  new  splendor. 

Namontack,  his  trusty  Indian  boy,  who  at  Powhatan's 
desire  had  accompanied  Captain  Newport  to  England  and 
back,  hastily  assured  the  old  monarch  that  the  garments 
were  such  as  were  worn  by  the  English  and  would  do  him 
no  harm.  Standing  as  stiff  and  straight  as  a  wooden  image, 
Powhatan  then  submitted  to  be  dressed  in  the  robe  of  royalty 
and  was  told  to  kneel  while  the  crown  was  placed  on  his 
head.  With  frightened  eyes  and  imperturbable  resolve  he 
stood  more  stiff  and  straight  than  before,  watching  the 
Englishmen  bend  and  bow  and  kneel  in  example  of  what  he 
ought  to  do — but  still  rigidly  erect. 

i6 


POWHATAN 

Time  was  going — the  coronation  must  take  place;  in 
despair  Captain  Smith  laid  a  powerful  hand  on  the  Wero- 
wance's  broad  shoulders  until  he  stooped  a  Httle.  The 
crown  was  hastily  placed  on  his  head,  and  a  volley  of  shots 
was  fired  as  a  signal  that  the  ceremony  was  accomplished. 
Powhatan,  indignant,  frightened,  and  sure  now  that  he 
had  been  trapped,  sprang  free  like  a  wild  creature,  and  it 
took  the  combined  efforts  of  the  two  captains  to  soothe 
him  and  to  make  him  understand  that  the  shots  were  a 
part  of  the  programme. 

Having  at  last  been  calmed,  the  new-made  Emperor 
received  further  explanations  with  gracious  condescension, 
and,  beckoning  to  Namontack,  bade  him  give  his  discarded 
moccasins  and  mantle  to  Captain  Newport,  as  if  to  imply 
that  even  the  cast-ofF  garments  of  an  emperor  were  a  gift 
of  value. 

With  rueful  amusement  the  Captain  accepted  his  gift, 
but  explained  that,  more  than  moccasins  or  mantles,  he 
wished  Powhatan's  help  in  attacking  the  Monacans.  Pow- 
hatan's refusal  was  firm.  None  of  his  men  except  the  trusty 
Namontack,  who  he  knew  would  not  betray  him,  should 
go  on  the  expedition,  he  said.  The  refusal  was  made  civilly, 
however,  and  accompanied  by  a  present  of  several  bushels 
of  corn,  so  it  was  not  possible  to  show  any  resentment  at 
the  firmness  of  the  new-made  Emperor;  and  neither  then 
nor  in  the  following  months  were  there  any  open  hostilities 
between  the  Indians  and  the  Jamestown  settlers,  but  in 
Powhatan's  heart  bitter  jealousy  had  been  growing.  He  felt 
hatred  for  these  men  with  their  coveted  weapons  and  their 
broader  intelligence,  and  gave  command  that  no  Indians 
were  to  trade  with  the  English.  This  angered  Captain 
Smith  so  deeply  that  he  had  a  great  desire  to  surprise 
Powhatan  and  carry  away  by  force  his  stores  of  provisions, 

17 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

but  neither  he  nor  the  Emperor  made  a  move  to  show  his 
feehngs. 

Then,  to  Smith's  surprise,  there  came  to  Jamestown 
messengers  from  Powhatan,  inviting  the  Captain  to  visit 
Weremocomoco  again,  and  suggesting  that  he  bring  a  grind- 
stone, some  muskets,  a  cock  and  hen,  beads  and  copper,  for 
which  he  would  be  paid  by  a  ship-load  of  corn. 

Always  ready  for  adventures.  Captain  Smith  promptly 
accepted  the  invitation,  and  with  forty  volunteers  set  off 
on  his  journey,  spending  the  first  night  at  Warrasqueak, 
where  a  friendly  old  chief  cautioned  him  not  to  go  farther, 
as  Powhatan  had  sent  for  the  white  men  this  time  only  to 
cut  their  throats. 

The  prospect  was  not  a  cheerful  one,  and  the  Captain 
had  to  inspire  his  comrades  with  ringing  words  of  courage 
before  they  would  accompany  him  farther,  but  at  last  all 
agreed  to  go,  and  they  went  on  to  Kekoughtan,  where  such 
a  heavy  storm  came  up  that  they  were  obliged  to  remain 
there  among  the  Indians  over  Christmas.  So  royally  were 
they  treated  that,  as  they  afterward  told,  they  had  ** never 
been  more  merry  in  their  lives,  lodged  by  better  fires  or 
fed  with  greater  plenty  of  good  bread,  fish,  flesh,  and  wild 
fowl." 

Meanwhile,  it  was  evident  to  all  his  councilors  that 
Powhatan  was  deciding  some  important  question.  By  the 
council-fire  or  in  warfare  he  maintained  such  a  brooding 
silence  that  all  knew  his  thoughts  were  occupied  with  mat- 
ters of  grave  importance.  Then  Captain  Smith  and  his 
companions  arrived,  landed,  and  were  housed  in  a  deserted 
wigwam  in  the  woods,  and  asked  for  provisions.  Powhatan 
bade  Namontack  take  them  enough  food  for  two  days, 
but  on  the  third  day  sent  this  message  to  the  Captain: 

"When  are  you  going  away.f*    Your  visit  was  not  antici- 

i8 


POWHATAN 

pated,  and  we  Powhatans  have  too  limited  a  supply  of  corn 
to  supply  you  much  longer,  although  if  you  will  give  us 
forty  swords  perhaps  forty  baskets  would  be  collected." 

Concealing  his  anger.  Smith  retorted: 

"Ask  the  Emperor  if  he  has  forgotten  his  invitation  to 
us  to  visit  him?" 

The  message  was  carried  to  Powhatan  by  the  very  men 
he  had  sent  to  Jamestown  with  his  invitation,  and,  being 
confronted  by  them,  he  was  obliged  to  remember  what  he 
wished  to  forget,  and  tried  to  make  a  joke  of  his  rude- 
ness. 

Without  further  delay  Smith  proposed  to  trade,  but 
Powhatan  refused  to  take  anything  but  guns  and  swords, 
and  at  such  a  high  price  that  finally  the  Captain  showed  his 
displeasure,  saying  he  had  complied  with  all  the  Emperor's 
requests,  and  did  not  deserve  such  treatment.  To  this 
Powhatan  answered  gravely: 

"We  have  but  little  corn,  but  what  we  can  spare  shall 
be  brought  two  days  hence.  As  to  your  coming  here,  I 
have  some  doubt  about  the  reason  for  it.  I  am  told  by  my 
men  that  you  came  not  to  trade,  but  to  invade  my  people 
and  to  possess  my  country.  This  makes  me  less  ready  to 
believe  you,  and  frightens  my  people  from  bringing  in  my 
corn.  Therefore,  to  relieve  that  fear,  leave  your  arms 
aboard  your  boats,  since  they  are  needless  here  where  we 
are  all  friends  and  forever  Powhatans." 

Doubtless  the  information  to  which  the  Emperor  alluded 
had  been  given  him  by  several  Germans  who  had  deserted 
the  colonists  to  live  with  the  Indians,  and  Smith  was  quick- 
witted enough  to  know  that  a  critical  moment  in  the  inter- 
course between  the  Powhatans  and  his  men  had  come. 
Cleverly  he  retorted  to  the  Emperor,  who  in  turn  answered 
him  back,  and   the  whole  day  was  spent  in  exchanging 

19 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

messages.  Only  one  trade  was  made,  when  Smith  wrangled 
Powhatan  out  of  eighty  bushels  of  corn  in  exchange  for  a 
copper  kettle,  on  which,  seeing  Powhatan's  liking  for  it, 
he  set  an  absurdly  high  price,  saying  that  because  of  the 
scarcity  of  corn  he  would  accept  that  quantity  at  present, 
provided  he  should  have  as  much  the  next  year,  or  the 
Manakin  country  if  the  conditions  were  not  complied 
with — ^which  proposal  was  sharp  enough  to  set  even  a  savage 
on  his  guard.  With  solemn,  keen  eyes  Powhatan  looked 
at  the  Captain;   then  he  said: 

**I  am  now  grown  old  and  must  soon  die,  and  the  succession 
must  descend  in  order  to  my  brothers,  and  then  to  my  two 
sisters  and  their  two  daughters.  ...  I  wish  that  your  love 
to  us  might  not  be  less  than  ours  to  you.  Why  should  you 
take  by  force  that  from  us  which  you  can  have  by  love? 
Why  should  you  destroy  us  who  have  provided  you  with 
food?  What  can  you  get  by  war?  We  can  hide  our  pro- 
visions and  fly  into  our  woods,  and  then  you  must  famish 
by  wronging  your  friends.  What  is  the  cause  of  your 
jealousy?  You  see  us  unarmed  and  willing  to  supply  your 
wants  if  you  will  come  in  a  friendly  manner,  and  not  with 
swords  and  guns  as  to  invade  an  enemy.  I  am  not  so  simple 
as  not  to  know  it  is  better  to  eat  good  meat,  sleep  quietly, 
to  laugh  and  be  merry  with  the  English,  and,  being  their 
friend,  to  have  copper  hatchets  and  whatever  else  I  want, 
than  to  fly  from  all,  to  lie  cold  in  the  woods,  feed  upon 
acorns,  roots,  and  such  trash,  and  to  be  so  hunted  that  I 
cannot  rest,  eat,  or  sleep.  In  such  circumstances  my  men 
must  watch,  and  if  a  twig  should  but  break  all  would  cry 
out,  'Here  comes  Captain  Smith,'  and  so  in  this  miserable 
manner  to  end  my  miserable  life,  and  this  might  soon  be 
your  fate,  too,  through  your  rashness  and  unadvisedness. 
I  therefore  exhort  you  to  peaceable  councils,  and  above 

20 


POWHATAN 

all  I  insist  that  the  guns  and  swords,  the  cause  of  all  our 
jealousy  and  uneasiness,  be  sent  away.'* 

Captain  Smith  retorted  that  the  colonists  meant  the 
Indians  no  harm,  that  had  they  desired  to  injure  them  it 
could  easily  have  been  achieved,  adding,  "Your  people 
coming  to  Jamestown  are  entertained  with  their  bows  and 
arrows  without  any  exceptions,  we  esteeming  it  with  you, 
as  it  is  with  us,  to  wear  our  arms  as  our  apparel.  As  for  the 
danger  of  our  enemies,  in  such  wars  lies  our  chiefest  pleasure; 
for  your  riches  we  have  no  use;  as  for  hiding  your  provision, 
or  by  your  flying  to  the  woods,  we  shall  not  so  unadvisedly 
starve  as  you  conclude;  your  friendly  care  in  that  behalf 
is  needless,  for  we  have  a  rule  to  find  beyond  your  knowl- 
edge." 

Certainly  the  glib  Captain  and  the  inscrutable  Emperor 
were  well  matched  in  repartee,  and  neither  one  was  to  be 
caught  off  his  guard.  Trading  was  again  begun,  and  again 
Powhatan  showed  dissatisfaction  that  he  could  not  have 
his  way. 

"Captain  Smith,"  he  said,  "I  never  used  any  Werowance 
as  kindly  as  yourself,  yet  from  you  I  receive  the  least  kind- 
ness of  any.  Captain  Newport  gave  me  swords,  copper, 
clothes,  or  whatever  I  desired,  .  ,  .  and  would  send  away 
his  guns  when  requested.  No  one  refuses  to  lie  at  my  feet 
or  do  what  I  demand  but  only  you.  Of  you  I  can  have 
nothing  but  what  you  value  not,  and  yet  you  will  have 
whatever  you  please.  Captain  Newport  you  called  father, 
and  so  you  call  me,  but  I  see,  in  spite  of  us  both,  you  will 
do  what  you  will  and  we  must  both  study  to  humor  and 
content  you.  But  if  you  intend  so  friendly  as  you  say, 
send  away  your  arms,  for  you  see  my  undesigning  simplicity 
and  friendship  cause  me  thus  nakedly  to  forget  myself." 

Powhatan  was  right.    Captain  Smith  was  determined  to 

21 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

have  his  v^ay,  and  he  saw  that  nothing  v^as  to  be  gained  by 
this  battle  of  v^ords.  It  w^as  evident  to  him  that  Powhatan 
while  he  talked  was  only  watching  with  sharp  eyes  for  a 
chance  to  get  the  Englishmen  in  his  power.  Something  de- 
cisive must  be  done.  Turning  to  a  group  of  Indians  who  were 
friendly,  the  Captain  asked  them  to  go  to  the  river  and 
break  the  ice  so  that  his  boat  might  land  and  his  men  take 
away  the  corn  he  had  bought  of  Powhatan.  His  plan  was  to 
capture  the  old  Emperor  as  soon  as  the  men  arrived,  but  to 
keep  Powhatan  from  suspecting  this  he  again  spoke  to  him. 

"Powhatan,"  he  said,  "you  must  know  as  I  have  but  one 
God,  I  honor  but  one  King,  and  I  hve  not  here  as  your 
subject  but  as  your  friend,  to  pleasure  you  with  what  I 
can.  By  the  gifts  you  bestow  on  me  you  gain  more  than 
by  trade,  yet,  would  you  visit  me  as  I  visit  you,  you  should 
know  it  is  not  our  custom  to  sell  our  courtesies  as  a  vendable 
commodity.  Bring  all  your  country  with  you  for  your 
guard,  1  will  not  dislike  you  as  being  over-jealous.  But 
to  content  you,  to-morrow  I  will  leave  my  arms  and  trust 
your  promise.  I  call  you  father  indeed,  and  as  a  father 
you  shall  see  I  will  love  you,  but  the  small  care  you  have 
for  such  a  child  caused  my  men  to  persuade  me  to  look 
to  myself." 

Powhatan  was  not  fooled  by  this.  Well  he  knew  that 
the  Captain  was  playing  the  same  game  of  strategy  as  he 
was,  and  he  feared  that  the  white  man  would  be  more 
successful  at  it  than  he  had  been.  Slyly  beckoning  a  young 
warrior,  he  gave  a  whispered  command,  and  two  squaws 
in  gaily  decorated  robes  ran  forward  and  squatting  at 
Smith's  feet,  engaged  his  attention  by  singing  and  by  the 
telling  of  tribal  tales.  Stealthily,  silently,  Powhatan  rose, 
stole  quietly  away,  and  fled  to  a  safe  retreat,  taking  with 
him  provisions  as  well  as  women  and  children. 

22 


PO W  H ATAN 

Immediately  the  Powhatan  warriors  surrounded  the 
Englishmen,  who  fought  back  the  throng  of  Indians  with 
swords,  Indian  shields,  and  pistols;  and  the  savages  fell  over 
one  another  in  fear,  fleeing  in  every  direction,  while  the 
Captain  and  his  comrades  went  back  to  their  woodland 
quarters  in  safety,  to  await  high  tide,  when  they  would 
be  able  to  float  away. 

The  news  of  his  warriorj^'  defeat  was  carried  to  Powhatan's 
hiding-place,  and  he  at  once  sent  one  of  his  most  convincing 
orators  with  a  handsome  bracelet  as  a  present  to  the  Captain, 
and  the  explanation  taat  he,  Powhatan,  had  only  fled 
because  he  was  afraid  o."  the  English  arms,  and  again  begged 
that  they  might  be  laid  aside,  when  he  would  return,  bringing 
with  him  an  abundance  of  corn  for  the  colonists.  To  this 
Smith  sent  back  a  firm  refusal,  and  Powhatan,  enraged, 
called  to  his  retreat  all  the  warriors  he  could  gather,  and 
ordered  them  to  surprise  and  kill  the  Englishmen  on  the 
next  night.  So  intent  on  giving  this  command  was  he 
that  he  did  not  notice  the  slight  figure  of  Pocahontas 
crouching  at  the  edge  of  the  forest  as  he  spoke. 

That  evening,  after  the  fall  of  twilight.  Captain  Smith, 
seated  alone  in  his  forest  wigwam,  heard  the  swift  approach 
of  feet,  and  the  Indian  maiden  stood  beside  him,  her  eyes 
big  with  terror  and  with  appeal. 

"Captain  Smith,"  she  said,  "great  cheer  will  be  sent 
you  by  and  by,  but  Powhatan  and  all  the  power  he  can  make 
will  after  come  and  kill  you  all,  if  they  that  bring  you  the 
cheer  do  not  kill  you  with  your  own  weapons  when  you 
are  at  supper.  Therefore  if  you  would  live  I  wish  you  pres- 
ently to  be  gone." 

It  was  a  brave  act  of  Pocahontas  to  come  there  to  him 
through  the  forest,  and  the  Captain  was  touched.  He 
expressed  his  thanks  in  hearty  words,  off"ering  her  as  a  token 

23 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

of  his  appreciation  the  rarest  trinkets  he  possessed,  but 
Pocahontas  shook  her  head,  with  tears  in  her  starry  eyes. 

"I  dare  not,''  she  said,  "to  be  seen  to  have  any,  for  if 
Powhatan  should  know  it  I  am  but  dead/'  With  that  she 
ran  away  Hke  a  deer  into  the  woods  and  disappeared. 

Presently  eight  or  ten  stalwart  Indians  came  bearing 
great  platters  of  food.  They  begged  the  Captain  to  put 
out  the  matches  to  their  guns,  for  the  smoke  "made  them 
sick,"  they  said,  and  they  wished  him  to  sit  down  to  eat; 
but  the  Captain  shook  his  head  and  motioned  to  the  Indians 
to  taste  each  dish  first,  then  sent  them  back  to  Powhatan, 
asking  him  to  make  haste  and  return,  as  he  was  awaiting 
him. 

To  this  there  was  no  answer,  but  soon  other  messengers 
bearing  unimportant  messages  arrived,  evidently  sent  to 
keep  a  watch  on  the  doings  of  the  English,  and  the  night 
passed,  with  no  open  hostilities,  but  with  messengers  coming 
and  going.  Then  at  high  tide,  unmolested,  the  Captain 
and  his  companions  were  able  to  depart. 

While  Captain  Smith  had  been  away  from  Jamestown  a 
boat-load  of  the  colonists  had  been  drowned  in  a  terrible 
storm,  and  a  settler,  Mr.  Wyffin,  set  out  for  Weremoco- 
moco  to  carry  the  tidings  to  Captain  Smith.  On  arriving 
there  he  found  that  the  Englishmen  had  left,  and  saw  prepa- 
rations for  war  on  every  side.  Being  one  of  the  colonists, 
his  life  w^ould  have  been  in  danger,  but  Pocahontas  hid 
him  until  it  was  safe  to  send  him  away,  and  when  the 
Indians  started  in  pursuit  she  directed  them  wrongly,  and 
so  once  again  the  loyal  maiden  saved  a  white  man's 
life. 

For  some  time  after  Captain  Smith's  party  returned  to 
Jamestown  there  was  a  truce  between  the  Indians  and  the 
settlers,  yet  Powhatan's  hatred  of  the  aliens,  who  possessed 

24 


POWHATAN 

such  weapons  and  such  intelHgence,  was  smoldering,  and 
in  one  way  or  another  he  secured  a  large  number  of  the 
coveted  firearms.  Then  he  captured  and  held  as  prisoners 
several  Englishmen,  for  which  act  the  colonists  were  deter- 
mined to  have  revenge. 

At  that  time  Pocahontas  was  visiting  among  the  Potomacs, 
a  neighboring  tribe,  on  the  river  of  that  name,  probably 
sent  there  by  her  father,  who  distrusted  her  intimacy  with 
the  white  men  and  wished  to  have  her  farther  away  from 
them.  Captain  Argall,  an  Englishman,  went  to  trade  with 
the  Potomacs,  and,  hearing  that  Pocahontas  was  there  among 
their  tribe,  a  brilliant  scheme  for  revenge  on  Powhatan 
occurred  to  him.  He  would  capture  the  Emperor's  "dearest 
daughter"  and  hold  her  for  a  ransom. 

To  gain  his  end  he  bribed  an  old  Indian  named  Japazaws, 
with  his  wife,  to  betray  Pocahontas  into  his  power,  offering 
the  irresistible  bribe  of  a  copper  kettle  in  exchange  for  the 
deed.  In  the  presence  of  Pocahontas  the  old  woman  begged 
to  be  allowed  to  visit  the  English  ship  at  anchor  off  shore, 
but  Japazaws  sternly  refused  the  request,  saying  she  could 
not  go  unless  accompanied  by  some  other  woman,  and  at 
last  threatened  to  beat  her  if  she  begged  any  longer.  Poca- 
hontas's tender  heart  being  touched  at  this,  she  offered  to 
go  with  the  woman,  and  at  once  the  party  were  taken  on 
board  the  ship  and  entertained  so  lavishly  that  the  two 
delighted  old  schemers  kept  treading  on  Captain  Argall's 
toes  during  supper  to  show  their  joy. 

Supper  over,  Pocahontas  was  detained  in  the  gun-room 
while  the  boat  got  under  way;  then  the  captain,  sending 
for  her,  told  her  that  she  was  to  remain  with  him.  Poca- 
hontas shrieked  and  sank  back  in  terror,  but,  on  hearing 
the  reason  of  her  capture,  recovered  her  spirits  and  entered 
into  the  plan  with  enthusiastic  interest,  realizing  that  no 
3  ^S 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

harm  was  to  be  done  her,  and  hoping  to  bring  about  peace 
between  her  people  and  the  EngHsh. 

Captain  Argall  immediately  sent  a  messenger  to  Pow- 
hatan, saying  that  his  daughter  was  a  prisoner  of  the 
English,  but  that  if  he  would  send  home  the  men  whom  he 
had  captured,  with  such  weapons  and  tools  as  had  been 
stolen  from  the  colonists,  and  a  quantity  of  corn,  his  "delight 
and  darling"  should  be  restored  to  him. 

There  was  a  great  excitement  among  the  Powhatans  when 
this  news  was  received,  but  Powhatan  himself  preserved 
an  inscrutable  reserve.  With  grim  calmness  he  sent  back 
word  to  the  Englishmen  by  the  messenger  that  they  were 
to  take  good  care  of  Pocahontas  and  that  he  would  accede 
to  the  conditions  of  her  rescue. 

But  one  month,  two,  and  a  third  went  by,  with  no  word 
from  him,  as  his  desire  for  English  weapons  and  his  affection 
for  his  daughter  were  at  war  in  his  heart.  At  the  end  of 
the  third  month,  however,  he  sent  to  Jamestown  seven  of 
the  captive  colonists,  with  a  message  that  he  would  also 
send  a  large  amount  of  corn  and  be  forever  their  friend  if 
they  would  give  up  his  daughter. 

Captain  Smith  sent  back  this  answer: 

"Your  daughter  shall  be  well  used,  but  we  cannot  believe 
the  rest  of  our  arms  are  either  lost  or  stolen  from  you,  and, 
therefore,  till  you  send  them  back  we  will  keep  your  daugh- 
ter." 

Powhatan  made  no  answer  to  this,  and  for  so  long  a  time 
was  silent  that  the  Englishmen  grew  impatient  with  him. 
Although  since  the  coming  of  Pocahontas  to  Jamestown  all 
the  colonists  had  become  deeply  attached  to  the  vivacious 
young  girl  and  would  miss  her  sadly  when  she  left  their 
little  settlement,  yet  at  the  end  of  a  year  they  were  so 
irritated    at    Powhatan's   silence   that   Sir   Thomas    Dale, 

26 


POWHATAN 

taking  with  him   Pocahontas  and  one  hundred   and   fifty 
men,  embarked  for  Weremocomoco. 

Powhatan  was  not  there.  He  was  still  in  hiding,  and 
when  the  English  told  the  Indians  who  received  them  that 
they  had  come  to  give  up  Pocahontas  and  to  receive  the 
promised  return  of  arms  and  men,  the  warriors  received 
both  overtures  and  threats  with  scorn  and  open  hostility, 
and  there  were  several  skirmishes  in  which  much  Indian 
property  was  destroyed. 

Peace  was  finally  made,  and  two  of  Pocahontas's  brothers 
were  interviewed  and  allowed  to  go  on  board  the  boat  to 
visit  their  sister.  Their  joy  at  seeing  her  rosy  and  well 
deepened  into  awe,  when  with  downcast  eyes  and  flushed 
cheeks  she  told  them  of  her  attachment  to  Mr.  John  Rolfe, 
one  of  the  finest  gentlemen  in  the  Enghsh  colony,  who, 
months  before,  had  begun  to  convert  the  little  pagan  to 
the  Christian  religion,  and  had  ended  by  falling  in  love 
with  her,  which  love  she  returned.  This  savored  of  the 
miraculous  to  her  stalwart,  bronze-skinned  brothers  of  a 
savage  race,  and,  hastening  from  the  boat,  they  went  at 
once  to  their  father's  retreat,  to  tell  him  the  great  piece  of 
news.  For  once  in  his  life  an  expression  of  fierce  exultation 
gleamed  in  the  black  eyes  of  the  Emperor.  His  daughter, 
the  child  of  an  Indian  Werowance,  the  wife  of  an  English- 
man? The  two  races  to  be  united?  Surely  this  would  be 
a  greater  advantage  to  his  tribe  than  all  the  firearms  which 
could  be  bought  or  stolen! 

Within  ten  days  an  old  uncle  of  Pocahontas's,  together 
with  her  two  brothers,  arrived  at  Jamestown  to  witness  the 
ceremony,  carrying  her  father's  sanction  to  her  marriage, 
but  no  amount  of  urging  could  prevail  on  the  old  chief 
himself  to  be  present,  as  he  had  a  great  fear  of  visiting  the 
home  of  the  colonists. 

27 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

Then  in  the  presence  of  a  large  number  of  her  devoted 
English  friends  and  three  of  her  own  tribe  and  kin,  Poca- 
hontas was  first  baptized  in  Christian  baptism;  and  on 
an  April  day  in  1614  a  strange  bridal  procession  moved 
up  the  aisle  of  the  little  Jamestown  church:  the  bride- 
groom, a  bright-eyed,  earnest  young  Englishman;  the  girlish 
bride,  a  dusky  Indian;  her  attendants,  two  bronzed  young 
braves.  At  the  altar  a  minister  of  the  colony  repeated  the 
simple  service,  and  Pocahontas  in  her  pretty  but  imperfect 
English  repeated  her  marriage  vows,  then  put  on  the  w^ed- 
ding-ring  of  civilized  races,  as  calmly  as  though  she  had 
never  been  a  wild  bird  of  the  forest. 

Powhatan,  who  still  remained  in  retreat  at  Matchcat, 
several  miles  beyond  Weremocomoco,  spent  his  daughter's 
wedding-day  in  such  deep  absorption  that  even  his  oldest 
warrior  dared  not  approach  him  in  ordinary  conversation; 
but  it  was  noticed  that  he  held  his  head  higher  and  spoke 
with  more  majestic  dignity  than  before,  and  from  that 
day  he  never  again  gave  an  order  to  do  an  injury  to,  or  to 
violate  the  peace  with,  one  of  that  race  to  which  his  daugh- 
ter's marriage  had  allied  him. 

With  such  advantages  resulting  from  the  marriage  of 
Pocahontas  to  one  of  their  number,  Ralph  Hamer,  another 
colonist,  was  sent  by  Sir  Thomas  Dale,  some  months  later, 
to  secure  for  Sir  Thomas  himself  another  daughter  of  the 
Indian  Emperor. 

Powhatan  was  found  by  Hamer  in  his  forest  retreat,  and 
received  his  guest  civilly.  When  evening  came,  with  Pow- 
hatan he  was  seated  before  the  fire  in  the  Emperor's  great 
wigwam,  while  Englishman  and  chief  smoked  the  pipe  of 
peace  together.  Powhatan  then  inquired  for  his  daughter's 
health  and  happiness,  and  Hamer  replied  that  she  was  so 
content  she  would  on  no  account  return  to  live  with  Pow- 

28 


POWHATAN 

hatan.  A  grim  smile  overspread  the  old  chief's  face,  and 
with  no  remark  on  the  subject  he  abruptly  asked  Hamer 
why  he  had  visited  him.  Hamer  then  drew  out  and  pre- 
sented several  gifts  sent  by  Sir  Thomas  Dale,  and  added, 
**Sir  Thomas  desires  your  youngest  daughter  in  marriage, 
and  begs  that  she  may  return  with  me  to  make  her  sister 
a  visit  in  order  to  become  acquainted  with  the  life  at 
Jamestown. 

Powhatan,  looking  every  inch  a  king,  in  his  great  fur 
robe  and  elaborate  head-dress,  listened  gravely  to  this  pro- 
posal from  an  Englishman  for  the  hand  of  his  second  child. 

Satisfaction  could  go  no  further,  but  of  this  he  gave  no 
sign;  and  when  Mr.  Hamer  had  finished  speaking  the  chief 
thanked  him  for  the  honor  he  had  conferred  by  his  proposal, 
but  said  gravely  he  regretted  having  only  a  few  days  before 
sold  his  daughter  to  a  great  Werowance  living  three  days' 
journey  away,  for  three  bushels  of  Roanoke. 

Hamer  with  equal  gravity  suggested  that  a  ruler  of 
his  greatness  could  recall  his  permission  if  he  so  chose, 
especially  as  his  daughter  was  only  twelve  years  old;  that 
in  such  a  case  Sir  Thomas  Dale  would  give  in  exchange  for 
her  three  times  the  value  of  the  Roanoke  in  hatchets  and 
copper. 

Solemnly  the  Emperor  bowed  in  recognition  of  the 
courtesy,  and  with  equal  solemnity  set  aside  the  offer.  He 
could  not  live  without  seeing  his  daughter  every  day,  he 
said,  which  would  be  impossible  if  she  went  among  the  colo- 
nists, as  he  had  resolved  never  to  put  himself  in  their  power 
by  visiting  them,  despite  his  friendship  with  them;  that 
he  had  already  given  up  one  child  to  them;  that  if  she  should 
die  he  would  give  up  the  other  in  token  of  friendship.  With 
pathetic  dignity  he  added: 

**I  hold  it  not  a  brotherly  part  for  your  King  to  endeavor 

29 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

to  bereave  me  of  my  two  darling  children  at  once.  Give  him 
to  understand  that  if  he  had  no  pledge  at  all,  he  need  not 
distrust  any  injury  from  me  or  my  people.  There  has 
already  been  too  much  of  blood  and  war;  too  many  of  my 
people  and  of  his  have  already  fallen  in  our  strife,  and  by 
my  occasion  there  shall  never  be  any  more,  ...  for  I  am 
grown  old  and  would  gladly  end  my  remaining  days  in  peace 
and  quiet.  Even  if  the  English  should  offer  me  injury,  I 
should  not  resent  it.  My  country  is  large  enough,  and  I 
would  remove  myself  farther  from  you.  I  hope  this  will 
give  satisfaction  to  my  brother.  He  cannot  have  my 
daughter.  If  he  is  not  satisfied,  I  will  move  three  days' 
journey  from  him  and  never  see  Englishmen  more." 

He  relapsed  into  an  unyielding  silence.  The  pipe  of  peace 
had  long  since  been  extinguished;  the  great  forest  logs 
were  smoldering  in  a  last  red  flare,  and  the  big  wigwam 
was  in  semi-darkness,  showing  the  shadowy  form  of  the 
mighty  Werowance  sitting  before  the  dying  fire  in  a  dim 
outline  of  dignity  and  repose. 

Back  to  the  days  of  his  supremacy  as  a  young  warrior; 
back  to  the  joy  of  his  mighty  conquests,  to  the  days  of 
Pocahontas's  childhood;  forward  to  the  days  when,  as  Lady 
Rebecca,  the  wife  of  a  man  in  whose  veins  ran  the  blood  of 
an  alien  people,  she  should  be  the  pride  both  of  his  race 
and  of  the  English,  roved  the  memories  and  thoughts  of 
the  old  Indian  Emperor,  forgetful  now  of  the  guest  beside 
him.  Bending  over  him  for  a  moment,  to  study  the  strong, 
inscrutable  face  of  the  great  chief,  Hamer  tiptoed  softly 
away,  leaving  Powhatan,  the  mighty  Werowance  over  thirty 
tribes,  the  far-famed  Indian  Emperor,  alone — to  muse,  to 
dream,  and  to  hope. 


OSCEOLA 


OSCEOLA:  WAR-CHIEF  OF  THE  SEMINOLES 

FORT  KING  lay  scorching  in  the  rays  of  the  midday 
sun.  Under  the  protecting  shadow  of  the  stockade 
General  Thompson  and  his  troopers  were  ranged  in  military 
order,  waiting,  with  the  treaty  of  Payne's  Landing  on  a 
table  before  them — a  treaty  which  the  Seminoles  declared 
they  had  been  tricked  into  signing. 

Beside  this  treaty  lay  its  sister  document,  which  the 
savages  had  also  signed  in  ignorance  that  by  so  doing  they 
declared  themselves  content  to  move  from  their  beloved 
Florida  to  lands  beyond  the  Mississippi,  which  they  did  not 
wish  to  occupy,  allotted  them  by  an  unfriendly  government. 

Under  the  lee  of  the  stockade  the  soldiers  waited.  Through 
the  depths  of  the  great  swamp  near  by  wound  a  long  trail 
of  Indian  braves,  gaudy  with  paint  and  plumes,  marching 
to  the  fort  in  the  forest  shade  of  live-oaks  and  cypresses 
deep-garlanded  with  Southern  moss.  Rounding  the  stockade, 
the  red  men  lined  up,  facing  the  troopers,  and  with  nods 
and  grunts  of  greeting  declared  themselves  ready  for  the 
conference  to  which  they  had  been  called. 

Micanopy,  veteran  chief  of  the  Seminoles,  headed  the 
line,  and  beside  him  stood  the  brilliant  young  warrior  As-se- 
he-ho-lar,  called  Osceola,  or  "Black  Drink,''  who  was  soon 
to  become  war-chief  of  his  tribe  by  reason  of  his  daring 
and  ability.  Beyond  him  stood  Tiger  Tail,  Jumper,  Alligator, 
and  many  other  braves,  all  willing  to  hear  what  the  white 
men  had  to  say  for  themselves,  but  firm  in  their  determina- 

33 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

tion  to  resist  the  decree  that  would  push  their  tribe  out  of 
Florida  into  a  country  for  which  they  had  no  liking. 

General  Thompson  acknowledged  the  Indians'  greeting; 
then,  stepping  forward,  spoke  slowly,  weighing  his  words: 

"The  Great  Father  at  Washington,  Andrew  Jackson,"  he 
said,  "has  now  decided  to  enforce  the  treaty  of  Payne's 
Landing,  signed  by  your  chiefs." 

Micanopy  groaned,  a  younger  chief  threw  up  his  arms  in 
a  wild,  threatening  gesture,  and  there  was  a  chorus  of  menac- 
ing sounds  from  the  line  of  braves.  Osceola  alone  remained 
silent  and  impassive  while  he  heard  what  the  general  had 
to  say.  Then,  leaning  over,  he  whispered  to  Micanopy, 
telling  the  old  warrior  what  to  reply  to  the  general,  as  he 
himself  was  not  allowed  to  speak,  not  being  a  chief. 

Micanopy  shook  his  head  at  the  young  warrior's  whisper, 
as  if  to  show  that  he  did  not  approve  of  the  ideas  of  one  who 
was  flushed  by  the  vigor  of  youth  and  health  and  wished 
to  go  to  the  extreme  of  daring;  but  he  said  nothing  until 
after  three  sub-chiefs  who  had  been  called  on  to  speak  had 
all  denied  that  the  treaty  had  been  signed  by  the  Seminoles. 
The  last  chief  added : 

"We  signed  a  treaty  in  1821  that  was  supposed  to  hold 
good  for  twenty  years,  and  why  should  we  have  signed 
another  until  the  time  limit  of  that  had  expired  ?" 

Then  old  Micanopy,  in  answer  to  Osceola's  meaning 
glance,  rose  and  said,  firmly,  "I  did  not  sign  the  treaty  of 
Payne's  Landing.  I  only  extended  my  hand  to  do  so." 
With  eyes  fixed  on  the  general's  face,  he  added,  "The  treaty 
was  to  examine  the  country — not  to  occupy  it." 

Jumper  muttered,  "The  treaty  was  made  to  keep  the 
white  men  quiet  and  to  obtain  provisions!"  Another  and 
another  of  the  braves  added  their  testimony,  which  agreed 
with  what  had  been  already  said.     The  entire  assemblage 

34 


OSCEOLA:       WAR-CHIEF      OF     THE      SEMINOLES 
(From  the  painting  by  George  Catlin   in  the  United  States   National   Museum) 


OSCEOLA 

was  then  in  such  a  state  of  excitement  that  the  Indian 
agent  rose  and  announced,  "Hereafter  on  account  of  your 
rebellious  attitude  toward  the  government  no  annuity  will 
be  paid  to  the  Seminoles,  as  heretofore." 

Up  to  this  moment  Osceola  had  been  listening  with  flash- 
ing eyes  and  compressed  lips.  Now  he  strode  forward, 
wrapping  his  gay  mantle  close  around  him,  over  folded 
arms,  and  said  scornfully: 

"Neither  I  nor  any  one  of  my  warriors  care  if  we  never 
receive  another  dollar  from  our  Great  Father!" 

Then,  rushing  up  to  the  table  and  drawing  his  knife,  he 
drove  it  through  the  treaty  into  the  table,  shouting,  "The 
only  treaty  I  will  execute  is  with  this!'* 

So  furious  was  his  act  and  so  passionate  were  his  words 
and  expression  that  the  council  hastily  broke  up — Indians 
and  white  men  alike  recognizing  the  tremendous  force 
in  this  young  brave  who  dared  so  to  defy  the  govern- 
ment. 

The  general  immediately  sent  word  to  the  Secretary  of 
War  that  "the  Indians  had  positively  refused  to  move 
west  under  the  stipulations  of  Payne's  Landing  and  had 
given  as  a  reason  that  it  was  a  white  man's  treaty,  which  they 
did  not  understand,  as  the  interpretation  of  the  negotiation 
was  false,"  and  from  that  time  the  Seminoles  who  hung 
around  the  fort  were  insolent  and  daring,  responding  to 
any  suggestion  of  emigration  with  laughter  and  ridicule. 
At  the  same  time  it  was  discovered  that  they  were  buying 
large  quantities  of  gunpowder  and  lead,  and,  although  the 
officers  did  not  take  this  seriously,  yet,  after  the  fact  was 
found  out,  wherever  and  whenever  they  attempted  to  buy 
them  it  was  impossible  to  do  so.  Hearing  of  this,  Osceola, 
with  gleaming  eyes,  gathered  together  a  crowd  of  followers 
and  went  to  a  store  himself  to  buy  the  desired  articles. 

35 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

He  met  with  the  same  refusal,  and  with  an  imperious  and 
angry  gesture  he  exclaimed  : 

"Am  I  a  negro?  A  slave?  My  skin  is  dark,  not  black. 
I  am  an  Indian — a  Seminole.  The  v^hite  man  shall  not  make 
me  black.  I  will  make  the  white  man  red  with  blood,  and 
then  blacken  him  in  the  sun  and  rain,  where  the  wolf  shall 
smell  his  bones  and  the  buzzard  shall  live  upon  his  flesh!" 

Conditions  between  the  savages  and  the  Americans  were 
now  approaching  a  crisis.  Micanopy,  himself,  was  old  and 
averse  to  war,  but  he  was  completely  under  the  influence 
of  a  band  of  young  warriors  of  whom  Osceola  was  the  master- 
spirit, and  they  firmly  refused  to  make  any  compromise 
with  the  government. 

The  officers  became  more  and  more  incensed  at  this 
"insolence,"  as  they  called  it,  of  the  Indians,  and  the  chiefs 
returned  the  compliment  in  kind.  Also  a  crowd  of  specu- 
lators and  adventurous  whites  settled  on  the  Florida  border, 
waiting,  Sprague  says,  "to  take  possession  of  the  Indians' 
land,  when  vacated,  and  to  claim  the  negroes  as  slaves." 

Altogether  the  situation  was  tense,  but  although  the  troops 
were  preparing  for  war,  they  did  it  in  a  half-serious  way 
which  showed  that  they  thought  it  would  be  only  a  matter 
of  a  few  months  to  completely  master  the  Indians,  for  they 
did  not  reckon  with  such  a  force  as  lay  in  the  powerful 
personality  and  intelligence  of  young  Osceola,  who  at  that 
time  was,  we  are  told,  "five  feet  eight  inches  tall,  with  a 
manly,  frank,  and  open  countenance,  a  remarkably  keen, 
bright  eye,  and  an  independent  bearing." 

In  Catlin's  portrait  of  him,  painted  from  life,  the  handsome 
young  warrior  wore  three  ostrich  feathers  in  his  black  hair 
and  a  turban  made  of  a  varicolored  shawl.  His  tunic  was  of 
gay  calicoes,  and  he  had  a  handsome  bead  sash  or  belt  around 
his  waist,  and  his  rifle  in  his  hand. 

36 


OSCEOLA 

He  always  treated  the  whites  with  great  dignity — almost 
amounting  to  insolence — and  scorned  the  superstitions  and 
mummeries  of  his  race.  Despite  his  brutality  to  soldiers, 
he  was  kind  and  thoughtful  to  women  and  children  and 
always  commanded  his  warriors  to  spare  them,  saying, 
"  It  is  not  upon  them  that  we  make  war  and  draw  the  scalping- 
knife.    It  is  upon  men.    Let  us  act  like  men." 

It  did  not  take  the  government  long  to  discover  who  was 
the  moving  spirit  of  the  Indian  war-party,  and  an  attempt 
was  made  to  win  Osceola  over  to  a  treaty  of  peace  and  sub- 
mission to  government  wishes,  but  in  vain.  In  June,  1835, 
General  Thompson  called  him  to  a  conference,  but  he  was 
so  daringly  insolent  that,  secretly  admiring  his  courage,  the 
general  ordered  him  under  arrest;  and  he  was  put  in  irons, 
to  the  great  consternation  of  his  followers,  who,  without 
him,  were  like  sheep  without  a  shepherd. 

For  two  days  he  showed  the  most  marked  humility  in 
his  imprisonment,  and  finally  sent  for  a  messenger  to  whom 
he  said: 

"Tell  the  general  that  I  submit  to  his  wishes,  and  will 
sign  the  treaty  according  to  the  wishes  of  the  Great  Father 
at  Washington." 

At  once  he  was  set  at  liberty,  and,  true  to  his  promise, 
brought  a  large  number  of  warriors  to  the  fort,  who  all 
signed  the  treaty  and  received  supplies,  while  General 
Thompson  congratulated  himself  on  having  come  out  of  a 
difficult  situation  so  well,  and  sent  full  particulars  of  the  mat- 
ter to  Washington;  but  little  did  either  President  or  general 
know  of  the  craft  and  diplomacy  of  intrepid  young  Osceola ! 

No  sooner  was  he  set  free  than  by  means  of  scouts  and 
private  messengers  he  sent  an  order  with  all  possible  haste 
and  secrecy  to  every  warrior  of  his  tribe,  and  to  all  the 
negroes  who  were  in  sympathy  with  them,  saying: 

37 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

"Under  pretense  of  submitting  to  the  decree  of  the  white 
men,  resist  and  fight  to  the  Hmit  of  your  endurance!" 

This  command  was  reinforced  with  stirring  words  by 
which  he  roused  his  tribe  to  a  fierce  hatred  of  the  general 
and  the  race  to  which  he  belonged,  as  well  as  to  a  burning 
desire  to  drive  the  white  men  out  of  the  Seminole  country, 
as  they  were  trying  to  drive  the  Indians. 

Osceola's  eloquence  and  eager  daring  completely  domi- 
nated the  younger  braves,  who  could  scarcely  wait  now  to 
make  war  on  the  hated  pale-faces,  and  they  hastily  made 
Osceola  war-chief  of  his  tribe;  then  with  craft  and  cunning, 
while  apparently  making  ready  for  their  journey  west, 
moved  their  belongings  to  the  depths  of  a  great  cypress 
swamp,  where,  safely  intrenched  on  the  hummocks,  no 
white  man  could  follow  or  spy  on  their  movements. 

From  his  own  retreat  in  the  farthest  depths  of  the  Wahoo 
Swamp,  far  beyond  the  prying  eyes  of  the  white  man, 
Osceola  pondered  on  the  situation,  then  gave  an  order  to 
kill  those  chiefs  who  had  first  signed  the  treaty — that  there 
might  be  no  opposition  to  his  warlike  design.  In  September 
he  himself  murdered  one  of  them,  and,  though  the  deed  was 
done  in  secrecy,  the  news  of  it,  and  of  other  similar  acts, 
soon  reached  the  whites.  Frightened  for  their  own  safety, 
the  settlers  deserted  their  plantations  and  flocked  to  the 
nearest  forts  for  protection;  and  the  government,  on  the 
23d  of  December,  1835,  sent  two  companies  of  United  States 
regulars,  under  Major  Dade's  command,  to  Fort  King  to 
reinforce  General  Thompson  and  subdue  the  Seminoles. 

Osceola,  from  his  impregnable  fortress  in  the  depths  of 
the  shadowy  swamp,  received  the  news  from  scouts,  and  a 
grim  determination  to  repulse  the  new  force  was  written 
on  the  features  of  his  expressive  face.  He  would  attack  this 
relief  column  before  it  ever  reached  the  fort,  but  before 

38 


OSCEOLA 

doing  that  he  would  kill  General  Thompson,  who  had 
treated  his  tribe  with  such  unkindness. 

CaUing  together  his  most  famous  war-chiefs,  he  lurked 
for  days  with  them  in  the  forest  near  the  fort,  awaiting  a 
chance  to  carry  out  his  purpose,  and  meanwhile  Dade's 
column  was  hourly  coming  nearer. 

While  awaiting  his  chance  to  make  an  attack,  Osceola 
watched  all  movements  at  the  fort  with  sharp-sighted  eyes, 
and  saw  General  Thompson  and  Lieutenant  Smith  saunter 
from  the  fort  in  the  direction  of  a  store  half  a  mile  from  the 
garrison.  In  stealthy  silence  he  and  his  men  crept  through 
the  forest,  followed  the  officers,  and  from  an  ambush  shot 
and  killed  them  in  full  view  of  the  fort.  Then  they  scalped 
their  victims,  rushed  to  the  store,  murdered  the  inmates, 
and  after  hastily  plundering  it,  set  fire  to  it,  and  fled  to  the 
safety  of  their  swamp  fortress. 

Sprague  says:  **The  second  Seminole  war  was  now  begun 
in  earnest.  Osceola  hurriedly  led  his  warriors  to  the  edge 
of  Wahoo  Swamp,  where  he  had  arranged  to  meet  other 
chiefs  and  warriors,  headed  by  old  Micanopy,  Jumper,  and 
Tiger  Tail.  There  they  lurked  in  ambush  until  Major 
Dade's  troops  came  in  sight,  when  the  Indians  fell  on  them, 
and  after  a  tremendous  fight  massacred  the  troops.  Alligator 
afterward  gave  this  account  of  the  battle. 

"So  soon  as  all  the  soldiers  were  opposite  between  us 
and  the  pond,"  he  said,  "Jumper  gave  the  whoop.  Micanopy 
fired  the  first  rifle,  the  signal  agreed  upon,  when  every 
Indian  rose  and  fired,  and  more  than  half  of  the  white  men 
were  laid  on  the  ground  dead.  The  soldiers'  big  thunder 
gun  [cannon]  was  discharged  several  times,  but  the  men 
who  loaded  it  were  shot  down  as  soon  as  the  smoke  cleared 
away.  The  balls  passed  far  over  our  heads.  The  soldiers 
shouted  and  whooped,  the  officers  shook  their  heads  and 

39 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

swore.  There  was  a  little  man,  a  great  brave,  who  shook 
his  head  at  the  soldiers  and  swore  fiercely.  .  .  .  No  rifle-ball 
could  hit  him.  We  soon  came  near.  They  had  guns,  but 
no  powder.  When  I  got  inside  the  log  pen  there  were  three 
white  men  alive.    Our  negroes  put  them  to  death." 

That  night  Osceola  and  his  chosen  men  joined  the  warriors 
in  a  horrible  celebration  of  their  victory,  the  savages  wearing 
at  their  belts  the  bloody  scalps  of  their  white  victims,  and 
gloating  over  the  stolen  stores  they  had  obtained  by  the 
massacre.  Osceola  then  made  a  wild  harangue  to  the 
scalp  of  General  Thompson,  which  was  being  carried  about 
on  a  war-pole,  while  the  head  of  another  officer  was  roasting 
in  the  fire;  and,  ghastly  as  the  celebration  was,  it  was  char- 
acteristic of  savage  warfare,  and  not  more  infamous  than 
many  a  deed  of  the  white  men,  whose  intelligence  should 
have  made  them  above  craft  and  treachery. 

No  sooner  had  Major  Dade's  command  been  wiped  out 
than  Osceola's  scouts  brought  in  tidings  that  General  Clinch 
had  been  ordered  to  take  the  place  of  the  murdered  general, 
bringing  with  him  three  companies  of  regulars.  This  was 
news  indeed!  Osceola's  war-hke  spirit  thrilled  at  the 
thought  of  another  conquest,  and,  calling  together  four  hun- 
dred of  his  ablest  warriors,  with  Alligator  as  sub-chief,  he 
marched  out  of  the  swamp  to  intercept  the  fresh  troops 
as  they  crossed  the  Withlachoochee  River,  but  here  General 
Clinch  had  been  too  clever  for  Osceola,  having  wisely 
taken  his  forces  across  the  river  in  a  small  canoe  half  a 
mile  above  the  regular  ford,  and  Osceola  was  checkmated 
but  undaunted. 

Hiding  his  braves  among  the  scrub  and  heavy  foliage  of 
hummocks  at  the  river  edge,  he  awaited  developments,  and 
at  noon  on  the  last  day  of  December  the  general  and  his 
troops  came  past  the  Indian  ambush,  were  attacked,  and 

40 


OSCEOLA 

for  an  hour  and  a  half  troopers  and  Indians  fought  hke 
demons,  Osceola  himself  becoming  the  arch-fiend  of  the 
battle,  while  General  Clinch  was  wary  enough  to  imitate 
Indian  tactics  and  have  his  men  fire  from  behind  trees  or 
rocks  or  underbrush.  "Osceola  leaped  from  cover  to  cover, 
fired,  then  plunged  from  view  with  a  yell,  to  seize  a  gun 
from  one  of  his  warriors  and  repeat  one  of  his  diabohcal 
antics.  ...  In  his  death-dealing  dance  he  was  the  chief 
target  of  the  soldiers,  but  no  bullet  seemed  able  to  hit  him, 
although  Alligator  afterward  declared  that  the  Great  Chief 
was  shot  through  the  arm  and  crippled  in  three  places, 
besides  losing  a  fragment  of  one  ear. 

Inch  by  inch  the  soldiers  gained  ground  against  the 
savages,  notwithstanding  the  ferocity  of  Osceola's  attack; 
and  at  last,  when  a  third  of  the  red  men  had  been  disabled. 
General  Clinch  ordered  an  advance  which  drove  the  remain- 
ing Indians  into  the  swamp,  and  Osceola  saw  that  even  the 
bravest  of  his  warriors  could  not  successfully  meet  the  white 
troops  when  conditions  were  even;  then,  like  all  able  generals, 
he  at  once  changed  his  tactics  to  suit  circumstances. 

Gathering  his  warriors  around  him  in  his  moss-hung 
swamp  fortress,  he  ordered  them  to  divide  into  small  bands 
and  fight  a  guerrilla  warfare,  giving  direct  assault  only  when 
their  strength  was  so  superior  that  they  were  certain  of 
victory. 

Immediately  his  braves  left  the  swamp  to  do  his  bidding, 
and  Osceola  himself  started  on  a  series  of  deadly  attacks 
on  all  white  men  who  came  in  his  path.  "He  would  ambush 
troops,  but  after  one  fire  and  a  defiant  yell  plunge  into  the 
deadly  swamps  where  soldiers  could  never  follow.  Every 
hummock  had  its  number  of  Indians  and  negroes  carefully 
hidden  in  the  dense  foliage  and  underbrush,'*  and,  Sprague 
says,  "woe  to  the  express-rider,  the  isolated  settlers,  the 
4  41 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

foragers,  the  baggage-trains!"  The  savages  seemed  to  start 
out  of  every  jungle,  and  it  was  always  Osceola  who  led 
them.  His  name  became  a  horror  to  settlers  and  a  terror 
to  troops.  **When  As-se-he-ho-lar's  name  is  whispered," 
said  his  friend  Alligator,  "the  white  man  shakes  with  the 
swamp  ague,  and  his  gun  drops  to  the  ground."  A  terror, 
indeed,  fell  upon  the  whole  of  sunny  Florida,  and  it  became 
a  scene  of  devastation  and  distress  because  of  the  warfare 
planned  and  carried  out  under  the  ruling  spirit  of  young 
Osceola. 

The  War  Department  now  took  more  vigorous  measures 
to  prevent  further  outrages,  and  General  Gaines  was  sent 
from  New  Orleans  with  over  a  thousand  regulars  to  rein- 
force General  Clinch.  He  attempted  to  march  across 
Florida,  but  unsuccessfully.  Osceola  attacked  his  troops 
on  flank  and  rear,  then  fled,  after  "capturing  the  general's 
scouts,  murdering  his  advance-guards  from  ambush,  trapping 
his  foragers,  and  sending  him  treacherous  guides.  Even  the 
negroes  used  by  the  general  as  carriers  betrayed  his  move- 
ments to  Osceola,"  and  at  last,  while  the  disheartened 
general  was  trying  to  transport  his  troops  across  the 
Withlachoochee  on  hastily  built  rafts,  the  savages,  hidden 
behind  dense  foliage  and  a  high  embankment  of  sand, 
suddenly  opened  a  hot  fire  on  them  from  the  opposite  bank 
of  the  river.  At  once  several  companies  were  ordered  to 
the  river  edge,  the  firing  became  general,  and  there  was  a 
brisk  skirmish  for  an  hour. 

The  troops  then  set  up  camp  on  the  spot,  but  their  guides 
became  confused  and  declared  that  the  ford  was  three  miles 
farther  down  the  river,  so  camp  was  moved  to  the  spot 
indicated,  but  with  no  success;  and  General  Gaines,  believing 
that  the  time  had  come  for  an  open  fight  with  the  whole 
body  of  Indians,  moved  camp  about  half  a  mile  back  from 

42 


OSCEOLA 

the  river,  on  the  great  stretch  of  pine  barren.  Intrenched 
there  behind  a  hastily  built  breastwork  of  logs,  he  sent  a 
messenger  to  General  Clinch,  who  was  then  thirty  miles 
away  at  Fort  Drane,  advising  him  to  cross  the  river  ten 
miles  up  and  attack  the  Indians  both  in  front  and  rear, 
while  he  would  divert  their  attention  from  this  movement 
by  seeming  to  cross  below. 

While  the  attack  so  ordered  was  eagerly  watched  for  by 
General  Gaines,  the  savages  made  constant  attacks  on  his 
camp,  daily  setting  fire  to  the  grass,  as  well  as  to  log  houses 
and  wigwams.  His  supplies  were  giving  out,  men  were 
being  killed  constantly  by  the  yelling  mob  of  Indians  who 
were  always  surrounding  the  fort,  and  it  seemed  as  if  relief 
would  never  come. 

Time  dragged  on  in  this  way  until  the  night  of  March 
fifth,  when  the  sentinel  on  guard  at  the  fort  was  roused  by 
John  Caesar,  an  old  negro  who  belonged  to  Micanopy  and 
was  a  privileged  character  among  the  Indians  and  his  own 
race.  After  hailing  the  sentinel  the  old  man  passed  through 
the  encampment,  shouting  at  the  top  of  his  voice:  "The 
Indians  are  tired  of  fighting.  They  wish  to  come  in  and 
shake  hands!" 

At  this  joyful  sound  out  came  the  general  to  tell  him 
that  if  this  were  really  true  the  Indians  must  come  in  the 
morning  bringing  a  white  flag,  to  show  that  their  intention 
was  genuine. 

Bowing  profoundly,  old  Caesar  turned  and  left  camp,  to 
bear  the  message  to  Micanopy,  while  the  officers  of  the 
garrison  awaited  the  morrow  with  high  expectancy. 

Noon  of  the  following  day  came,  and  a  large  number  of 
Indians  were  seen  filing  up  in  line  back  of  the  encampment. 
After  some  delay  and  many  conferences  with  their  leaders, 
three  gaily  dressed  chiefs  advanced  to  the  fort,  headed  by 

43 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

Osceola,  who  said  that  the  Indians  did  not  wish  to  fight 
any  more,  and  were  anxious  to  have  the  troops  return  from 
the  Withlachoochee. 

This  statement  was  received  by  the  general  without  com- 
ment, and  later  in  the  day  Osceola  again  approached  the 
fort  and  stated  that  Micanopy  had  gone  away,  so  no  treaty 
of  peace  that  might  be  made  would  be  binding. 

In  reply  General  Gaines  said  that  he  had  no  power  to 
make  such  a  treaty,  but  that  if  the  Indians  would  retire 
to  the  south  side  of  the  river  and  remain  there  without 
troubling  the  inhabitants  of  the  country,  they  should  not  be 
disturbed  for  the  present,  and  a  time  and  place  for  treating 
with  them  should  be  appointed. 

'  Solemnly  the  warriors  signified  their  willingness  to  agree 
to  this,  and  so  engrossed  were  they  in  the  matter  that  not 
one  of  them  saw  the  advance-guard  of  General  CHnch 
arriving  from  Fort  Drane  and  drawing  up  at  the  rear  of 
the  encampment. 

General  Clinch,  as  he  approached,  seeing  the  mass  of 
Indians  surrounding  the  fort  and  knowing  nothing  of  the 
reason  for  the  gathering,  took  it  for  granted  that  it  boded 
no  good;  so,  quickly  wheeling  his  troops  into  line,  he  began 
a  vigorous  assault  on  the  savages,  who  fled  in  wild  confusion, 
and  put  an  end  to  the  conference. 

It  is  said  that  the  old  negro,  Caesar,  had  acted  without 
any  other  authority  than  his  own  impulse  when  he  went  to 
camp  and  cried  out  that  the  Indians  wanted  to  make  peace, 
and  that  when  he  returned  and  reported  General  Gaines's 
message  to  the  Seminoles  they  were  so  angry  that,  but  for 
the  restraining  influence  of  Osceola,  they  would  have  killed 
the  old  man  on  the  spot,  as  his  action  and  Osceola's  accept- 
ance of  the  general's  invitation  to  a  conference  put  an 
end  to  the  plan  for  an  attack  which  they  had  been  waiting 

44 


OSCEOLA 

over  a  week  to  make,  and  by  which  they  had  hoped  to 
break  the  power  of  the  government  forces. 

For  days  they  had  been  gathering  for  an  assault,  and 
great  enthusiasm  had  prevailed  among  their  ranks,  *'even 
decrepit  men  and  the  youngest  boys  taking  part  in  the 
preparations  for  an  attack,  while  the  women  on  a  hummock 
three  miles  distant  were  busy  cooking  provisions  and  running 
bullets  for  the  use  of  the  warriors'';  but  now  General  Clinch 
had  made  his  unexpected  assault,  and  the  various  bands 
melted  away,  dispersing  to  the  hidden  depths  of  the  swamps, 
having  had  but  two  of  their  number  killed  and  six  wounded. 

General  Gaines  now  surrendered  his  command  to  Gen. 
Winfield  Scott,  under  whose  leadership,  one  after  another, 
Fort  King,  Fort  Drane,  and  Fort  Micanopy  were  given  up 
to  the  Indians,  until  the  whole  southern  half  of  Florida  had 
fallen  into  the  power  of  Osceola,  who  gained  his  victories 
with  less  than  fifteen  hundred  warriors  pitted  against  the 
United  States  army,  whose  military  tactics  were  of  no  avail 
against  the  strategy  of  this  forest  leader  who  with  his  tribe 
could  vanish  in  the  moss-hung  retreat  of  the  great  swamps 
to  appear  or  to  hide  at  will. 

On  went  the  war  until  fall,  when  General  Call  succeeded 
General  Scott  and  promptly  defeated  two  bands  of  Semi- 
noles,  so  regaining  part  of  the  lost  country.  But  the  Indians 
were  still  hidden  in  the  Wahoo  Swamp,  Osceola's  head- 
quarters, and  in  a  determination  to  achieve  greater  results 
General  Jesup  was  sent  to  take  General  Call's  place.  The 
new  commander  of  the  American  forces  brought  with  him 
eight  thousand  troops,  and  bloodhounds  from  Cuba  to 
track  the  Indians  to  their  swamp  retreats,  but  the  dogs, 
having  been  trained  to  trail  negroes  only,  were  useless  to 
Jesup,  and  he  at  once  planned  and  carried  out  a  new  and 
different  campaign  from  that  of  his  predecessors. 

45 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

He  offered  the  Indians  pardon  and  comradeship,  and  a 
few  bands  accepted  his  overtures,  but  as  soon  as  they  had 
been  well  fed  and  had  obtained  valuable  information  about 
the  movements  of  the  troops,  they  fled  to  tell  Osceola  what 
they  had  heard.  Jesup  was  baffled  in  his  scheme,  and  at 
no  time  could  he  form  any  correct  idea  of  the  number  of 
savages  fighting  against  his  troops,  for,  pursued,  the  Semi- 
noles  were  always  swallowed  up  by  the  great,  gloomy  swamps; 
fleeing  from  the  soldiers,  they  disappeared  among  the  Ever- 
glades only  to  reappear  a  stronger  and  more  desperate  band. 

In  the  depths  of  the  cypress  swamp  lay  the  Indians' 
council-ground,  near  which  lived  many  of  the  most  noted 
chiefs,  and  trails  or  footpaths  communicated  with  all  their 
hiding-places,  though  no  trail  whatever  could  be  seen  out- 
side the  swamp,  as  such  would  guide  their  pursuers.  In 
the  swamp  lay  many  islands  and  hiding-places  inaccessible 
to  the  feet  of  the  white  man,  but  on  which  the  Indians 
lay  concealed  for  days  and  weeks  at  a  time. 

Thus  the  Seminoles  were  able  from  their  fortress  to  con- 
tinue the  war  against  their  bitter  foes,  and  month  after 
month  evaded  the  American  soldiers  with  supreme  strategy. 
By  the  light  of  a  glimmering  moon,  or  again,  in  the  full 
glare  of  the  tropical  sun,  Osceola  was  more  than  once  joined 
by  bold  pirates  of  the  surrounding  sea,  who  in  Indian  dis- 
guise came  to  shore  and  fought  by  the  side  of  the  young 
war-chief,  whose  craft  and  cunning  were  those  of  the  jungle, 
but  whose  intelligence  was  worthy  of  a  white  general. 

Not  only  was  Osceola  a  fierce  savage,  he  was  a  commander 
who  was  superbly  scornful  in  his  dignity  of  office,  and  once, 
when  facing  a  captured  officer  and  holding  the  loot  which 
had  been  taken  from  him,  he  suddenly  flung  the  coin  in  the 
American's  face,  hissing:  "Money!  'Tis  coined  from  the 
red  man's  blood!" 

46 


OSCEOLA 

"From  time  to  time  he  was  joined  by  bands  of  Creeks 
from  Georgia,  as  well  as  by  those  occasional  sea-pirates  who 
attached  themselves  to  his  following,  but  never  did  he  have 
more  than  two  thousand  warriors  with  him  to  fight  against 
the  large  number  of  American  troops."  Still  "the  debilitat- 
ing climate,  the  treacherous  swamps,  the  white  man's  igno- 
rance of  the  jungle,  together  with  the  activity  and  skill  of 
Osceola,  continued  to  outwit  the  ablest  generals,"  while  "the 
savages  continued  to  suddenly  assemble  in  force  at  some  weak 
point,  strike  a  fatal  blow,  and  then  scatter  into  parties  to 
their  hiding-places  without  leaving  a  trace  behind." 

But  there  was  so  much  suffering  among  the  Indians  that 
old  Micanopy  became  disheartened,  and,  taking  with  him 
four  other  chiefs  as  old  and  despondent  as  himself,  and  three 
hundred  loyal  warriors,  he  went  to  General  Jesup's  camp 
and  officially  surrendered  the  whole  nation. 

The  general  joyfully  accepted  the  surrender,  and  imme- 
diately sent  word  to  Washington  that  the  Seminoles  were 
subdued.  Osceola,  who  had  been  out  reconnoitering, 
returned  to  Wahoo  Swamp  to  hear  of  this  act  of  his  veteran 
chiefs;  and,  retiring  to  the  depths  of  his  jungle  abode,  he 
pondered  long  and  deeply  on  his  next  move. 

Some  hours  later  an  unknown  Indian  in  the  dress  of  a 
forest  vagabond  sauntered  into  the  magic  circle  of  the  none 
too  carefully  guarded  camp  of  those  Indians  who  had  earlier 
in  the  day  surrendered  with  Micanopy.  Suddenly  flinging 
off  his  disguise  and  waving  his  arms  in  a  compelling  gesture, 
he  cried,  "I  am  Osceola!  Take  back  the  treaty  of  peace 
you  made  to-day!" 

So  strong  was  his  influence  over  the  Seminoles,  young  and 
old,  that  before  the  night  was  over  every  brave  had  stam- 
peded the  jungle,  and  the  general's  short-lived  triumph  was 
at  an  end. 

47 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

But  though  they  were  for  the  most  part  undaunted,  still 
on  the  war-path,  Osceola's  followers  were  now  suffering 
frightfully  from  famine,  which  was  slowly  depleting  their 
forces.  Then  came  the  worst  blow  of  all — the  supply  of 
powder  was  short!  At  this  news  even  Osceola's  superb 
courage  gave  way,  and  with  a  tragic  gesture  he  cried  out: 
"I  cannot  make  powder.  If  the  Great  Spirit  will  show 
me  how,  I  will  dye  the  land  he  has  given  us  with  the 
blood  of  the  white  man  until  it  is  red  like  the  sunset 
sky.'' 

A  crisis  had  come.  Gathering  around  their  commander, 
the  faint-hearted  warriors  begged  Osceola  to  open  peace 
negotiations  with  General  Hernandez,  who  was  now  in 
command  of  that  part  of  the  army  in  Florida  east  of  the  St. 
Johns  River.  Osceola  quickly  responded  to  their  desire 
and  agreed  to  open  communications  with  Hernandez,  who 
was  at  that  time  conducting  a  series  of  vigorous  measures 
along  the  Atlantic  coast  south  of  St.  Augustine. 

"On  the  9th  of  September  Hernandez  with  his  men  as- 
saulted the  camp  of  King  PhiHp,  a  famous  Seminole  chief, 
and  took  him  and  eleven  of  his  tribe  prisoners.  On  the  fol- 
lowing day  he  attacked  the  camp  of  the  chief  Uchee  Billy, 
and  secured  him,  his  brother  Uchee  Jack,  and  eighteen  men." 
This  led  to  the  surrender  of  the  son  of  King  Philip,  Coacoo- 
chee,  who  had  previously  received  a  message  from  his  father 
asking  him  to  come  and  see  him.  As  he  went  to  the  enemy's 
camp  at  his  father's  request,  and  as  Osceola's  messenger  to 
General  Hernandez,  Coacoochee  was  sure  that  he  would  not 
be  held  as  a  prisoner,  and  went  fearlessly,  carrying  with  him 
from  the  general  to  Osceola  a  white  plume  and  a  "neatly 
wrought  bead  pipe,"  which  was  sent  to  signify  that  "the 
path  was  white  and  safe." 

With  Coacoochee  went  Blue  Snake,  who  was  also  a  mes- 

48 


OSCEOLA 

senger  and  also  carried  a  white  plume  and  a  message  from 
Cao-hoje,  another  influential  chief. 

General  Hernandez  received  the  chiefs  graciously,  and, 
after  consulting  General  Jesup,  sent  Coacoochee  back  to 
tell  Osceola  that  he  would  grant  a  conference  with  the 
Seminoles,  but  on  the  clear  understanding  that  it  would  be 
to  make  arrangements  for  their  emigration  to  the  west. 

Away  went  Coacoochee  carrying  his  message,  and  back 
he  came  on  an  appointed  day  to  state  that  Osceola  and  Cao- 
hoje,  with  one  hundred  warriors,  had  already  started  toward 
St.  Augustine  to  confer  with  General  Hernandez.  Eager 
to  hasten  their  coming,  Hernandez,  with  a  small  detail  of 
soldiers,  went  to  meet  the  Indians,  carrying  supplies  for 
them;  and  about  twenty  miles  south,  at  Pelican's  Creek, 
he  met  an  advance-party  headed  by  John  Cavallo,  who  told 
him  that  Osceola  was  expected  to  join  the  party  that  evening. 
Leaving  the  provisions  he  had  brought,  the  general  went 
back  to  the  fort  after  telling  the  savages  to  choose  their 
own  position  near  the  garrison  when  Osceola  arrived,  and 
to  let  him  know  of  the  event,  that  he  might  hold  the  ex- 
pected conference  with  them. 

That  night  Osceola  and  Cao-hoje  marched  up  and  joined 
the  advance-party,  and,  as  the  general  had  promised,  word 
being  brought  to  him  of  their  arrival,  he  met  them  with 
his  own  staff  and  a  portion  of  General  Jesup's. 

Then  facing  the  proud  leader  of  the  Seminoles,  Hernandez 
asked,  "What  is  the  object  of  the  Indians  in  coming  in  at 
this  time?  Are  they  prepared  to  deliver  up  the  negroes 
taken  from  the  citizens,  at  once?  Why  have  they  not  sur- 
rendered them  already,  as  promised  by  Cao-hoje  at  Fort 
King?"  These  and  other  questions  were  put  to  the  Seminole 
leader,  the  last  questions  being  these:  "Have  the  principal 
chiefs,   Micanopy,  Jumper,  Cloud,   and    Alligator,  sent    a 

49 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

messenger,  and,  if  so,  what  is  their  message?  Why  have  not 
these  chiefs  come  in  themselves?'' 

To  the  first  few  questions  Osceola  answered  promptly, 
and  it  was  evident  that  the  Indians  were  willing  to  surrender 
the  negroes  they  had  taken  during  the  war;  but  whether 
because  the  other  questions  roused  a  suspicion  in  Osceola's 
mind,  or  because  he  knew  that  the  large  part  of  his  tribe 
were  still  unwilling  to  emigrate  and  were  going  to  be  forced 
to  do  so,  cannot  be  said,  but  the  great  Chief  became 
evasive,  then  silent,  and  finally,  turning  to  Cao-hoje,  said  in 
a  low  voice,  "I  feel  choked;  you  must  speak  for  me" — a 
proof  of  genuine  emotion  rare  among  his  race. 

The  general  was  at  first  mystified,  then  suspicious  at  his 
conduct,  and  at  last  decided  to  take  no  chances,  in  the  face 
of  General  Jesup's  command — "Let  the  chiefs  and  warriors 
know  that  we  have  been  deceived  by  them  long  enough. 
Order  the  whole  party  directly  to  town.  .  .  .  They  must 
move  instantly.  ..." 

Watching  Osceola  closely,  he  determined  to  make  the 
most  of  a  rare  opportunity,  and  to  arrest  the  young  war- 
chief  on  the  spot.  He  gave  a  signal,  and  the  trooper  closed 
around  the  Indians,  taking  them  prisoners.  The  arms,  bag- 
gage, and  ponies  were  collected,  and  the  line  of  march  was 
taken  up  to  St.  Augustine. 

Osceola,  daring,  intrepid  Osceola,  had  been  captured, 
under  a  flag  of  truce,  by  a  trick  of  the  white  men  whom  he 
had  so  long  evaded  in  legitimate  warfare.  His  enemy  had 
done  what  under  the  most  extenuating  circumstances  is 
not  easy  to  condone  in  the  commander  of  civilized  troops; 
and,  worn  out  from  months  of  the  hardest  kind  of  fighting 
and  broken  in  spirit  by  the  injustice  done  him,  Osceola  was 
taken  to  the  St.  Augustine  prison.  Coacoochee  was  taken, 
too,  but   contrived  to   escape    through    the  loophole  of  a 

50 


OSCEOLA 

casement  in  the  fort  where  he  slept.  Hastily  he  fled  to  the 
south,  and  succeeded  in  reaching  a  Seminole  camp,  when 
the  band  were  on  their  way  to  meet  and  treat  with  General 
Jesup. 

In  burning  words  caused  by  his  anger  and  resentment 
Coacoochee  told  of  his  capture  and  imprisonment  and 
the  treatment  he  and  the  other  Indians  had  received,  and 
his  listeners  became  so  enraged  that  instead  of  surrendering, 
as  they  had  intended  to  do,  they  immediately  gave  up  the 
idea,  and  not  only  did  not  further  communicate  with  the 
American  generals,  but,  retiring  again  to  their  fortress,  con- 
tinued the  war  which  the  commanding  officers  of  the  army 
had  hoped  to  terminate. 

Osceola  meanwhile  had  been  transferred  to  Fort  Moultrie, 
near  Charleston,  **where  his  proud  stoicism  and  haughty 
courage  dropped  from  him  like  an  outworn  garment." 

Had  he  been  defeated  in  open  combat  his  Indian  spirit 
would  have  accepted  the  defeat,  but  to  have  been  tricked 
into  capture  by  the  duplicity  of  the  white  men  in  a  moment 
when  he  trusted  them  was  beyond  his  endurance.  The 
gallant  young  chief  became  so  melancholy  that  it  was  im- 
possible to  rouse  his  interest  even  for  a  moment.  He  refused 
even  to  see  his  friends,  and  when  his  loyal  followers  ap- 
proached him  with  a  petition  that  he  emigrate  with  the 
other  Seminoles  and  make  the  best  of  the  situation,  as  they 
might  have  to  do,  the  plea  was  useless.  He  maintained  a 
haughty  silence  and  an  impenetrable  reserve  which  showed 
that  imprisonment  and  capture  had  struck  a  death-blow 
to  his  proud  spirit. 

He  became  an  object  of  general  interest  to  the  officers 
of  the  garrison,  who  were  so  sympathetic  with  the  brilliant 
young  prisoner  that  if  they  could  have  had  their  way  he 
would  have  gone  free;  but  instead,  a  captive,  he  became 

51 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

seriously  ill  of  throat  trouble — refused  food  and  drink,  and 
was  soon  found  to  be  dying. 

Dr.  Weedon,  who  was  with  him  at  the  end,  has  given  this 
account  of  his  last  moments: 

About  half  an  hour  before  he  died  he  seemed  to  be  sensible 
that  he  was  dying,  and,  although  he  could  not  speak,  he  signified 
by  signs  that  he  wished  me  to  send  for  his  chiefs,  and  for  the 
officers  of  the  post,  whom  I  called  in.  He  made  signs  to  his 
wives  (of  whom  he  had  two,  and  also  two  fine  little  children  by 
his  side)  to  go  and  bring  his  full  dress  which  he  wore  in  time  of 
war;  which  having  been  brought  in,  he  rose  up  in  his  bed,  which 
was  on  the  floor,  and  put  on  his  shirt,  his  leggings  and  moccasins, 
girded  on  his  war-belt,  his  bullet-pouch  and  powder-horn,  and 
laid  his  knife  by  the  side  of  him,  on  the  floor.  He  then  called  for 
his  red  paint  and  his  looking-glass,  which  was  held  before  him, 
when  he  deliberately  painted  one  half  of  his  face,  his  neck,  his 
throat,  his  wrists,  the  back  of  his  hands,  and  the  handle  of  his 
knife  red,  ...  a  custom  practised  when  the  irrevocable  oath 
of  war  is  taken.  His  knife  he  then  placed  in  its  sheath  under 
his  belt,  and  he  carefully  arranged  his  turban  on  his  head,  and 
his  three  ostrich  plumes  that  he  was  in  the  habit  of  wearing  in 
it.  Being  thus  prepared  in  full  dress,  he  lay  down  for  a  few 
minutes  to  recover  strength  sufficient,  when  he  rose  up  as  before, 
and  with  most  benignant  and  pleasing  smiles  extended  his  hand 
to  me  and  to  all  of  the  officers  and  chiefs  that  were  around  him, 
and  shook  hands  with  us  all  in  dead  silence,  and  also  with  his 
wives  and  his  little  children.  He  made  a  signal  for  them  to  lower 
him  down  upon  his  bed,  which  was  done,  and  he  then  drew  slowly 
from  his  belt  his  scalping-knife,  which  he  firmly  grasped  in  his 
right  hand,  laying  it  across  the  other,  on  his  breast,  and  in  a 
moment  smiled  away  his  last  breath  without  a  struggle  or  a  groan. 

So  passed  away  Osceola,  the  brilhant  young  war-chief  who 
by  his  masterly  strategy  had  defeated  the  ablest  generals  of 
his  day  and  led  his  people  in  a  costly  and  disastrous  five- 
years  war. 


SEQ^UOYAH 


SEQUOYAH:   THE  CHEROKEE  CADMUS 

THE  mountainous  country  where  Georgia,  Tennessee, 
and  North  CaroHna  touch.  A  Cherokee  log  house  at 
the  edge  of  the  forest,  with  its  guardian  giants  of  the  woods, 
and  Sequoyah  at  work! 

In  a  little  clearing  at  the  rear  of  the  log  house,  with  his 
supply  of  charcoal,  wrapping-paper,  and  "talking-leaves" 
spread  out  before  him,  sat  Sequoyah,  where  he  had  worked 
through  long  days  and  weeks,  and  where  he  was  often  still 
to  be  found,  rapt  in  thought,  when  evening  shadows  fell 
across  the  great  mountain  peaks  towering  behind  him 
and  mists  of  oncoming  night  enveloped  the  peaceful  valley 
beyond. 

And  why  was  he  here — this  Cherokee,  who  by  custom 
of  his  race  and  tribe  should  have  been  absorbed  in  chase  or 
hunt,  or  waging  war  upon  those  invading  settlers  who  were 
crowding  into  the  Indian  country  of  the  eastern  moun- 
taineers? 

Let  history  tell  its  story  from  an  earlier  time  when.  In 
the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century,  on  a  certain  day 
Indian  met  Indian,  and  with  signs  and  nods  showed  approval 
of  an  order  of  their  venerable  chief,  Atakullakulla,  that 
there  should  be  a  dance  that  night  in  recognition  of  the 
achievement  of  the  young  lad,  SIkwayl,  or  Sequoyah,  son 
of  the  Cherokee  woman  whose  father  was  a  chief  of  Echota. 

Sequoyah  was  as  lithe  of  limb  and  sturdy  of  body  as  any 
of  his  other  bronze-skinned,  black-eyed  Indian  comrades, 

55 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

but  even  as  a  very  young  boy  his  tastes  were  not  the  same 
as  theirs.  While  they  roamed  the  forests,  hunting,  fishing, 
or  sv^imming  in  the  clear  mountain  streams,  Sequoyah,  heed- 
less of  their  pleading,  would  shake  his  head  and  remain 
behind  alone,  building  miniature  models  of  such  houses  as 
those  in  which  the  Cherokee  mountaineers  lived,  using  small 
sticks  for  uprights  and  the  bark  of  trees  to  cover  the  round- 
ing roof  and  sides,  as  was  done  in  the  larger  ones  he  was 
copying. 

Not  satisfied  with  work  on  such  a  small  scale,  he  then 
began  to  construct  a  real  shed  to  be  used  as  a  dairy,  where 
the  few  cows  which  his  mother  owned  could  be  housed  and 
the  milk  properly  cared  for.  By  the  time  this  was  finished 
and  in  use  Sequoyah  was  fifteen  years  old  and  ready  to 
**make  his  medicine,''  as  was  the  custom  of  every  Indian 
boy  growing  into  manhood. 

Wandering  away  from  home,  he  spent  a  couple  of  days 
lying  on  the  ground  in  a  remote  corner  of  the  forest,  crying 
to  the  Great  Spirit — reverence  for  whom  is  co-existent  with 
life  itself  in  the  Indian's  breast — and  fasting.  At  last,  in 
spite  of  hunger  and  fear,  he  fell  asleep  and  dreamed  that  a 
toad  hopped  into  a  fold  of  his  garment,  which  was  the 
Great  Spirit's  sign  that  the  little  animal  was  to  be  his 
mysterious  protector  throughout  his  life,  and  even  after 
death.  His  "medicine"  made,  he  rose  and  returned  home, 
carrying  with  him  a  real  toad,  the  skin  of  which  he  made 
into  what  was  called  a  "medicine-bag"  by  stuffing  it  with 
dried  grass  and  herbs  —  and  always  afterward  he  carried 
this  in  some  fold  of  his  clothing  to  protect  him  from  harm. 

Having  "made  his  medicine,"  he  was  now  ready  to  take 
his  place  among  the  young  warriors  of  the  tribe;  but  as  com- 
bat of  any  kind  was  distasteful  to  him,  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  the  "picture-writing"  of  his  people,  who,  having  no 

S6 


SEQUOYAH:     THE    CHEROKEE    CADMUS 


SEQUOYAH 

alphabet  such  as  the  more  fortunate  white  man  possessed, 
were  obliged  to  express  their  thoughts  and  ideas  in  rude 
sketches  made  on  wood  or  bark  or  stone  or  the  skins  of 
animals. 

Though  an  untaught  Cherokee,  ignorant  of  any  language 
but  that  of  his  tribe,  Sequoyah  was  thrown  into  daily  con- 
tact with  English  colonists  and  fur-traders  who  were  now 
swarming  into  the  Indians'  territory;  and,  seeing  their  use 
of  the  "talking-leaves,*'  as  the  Indian  called  the  white 
man's  printed  page,  Sequoyah  became  keen  to  express  in 
the  Cherokee  way  fancies  and  facts  as  clearly  for  his  tribe 
as  the  white  men  did  for  their  people.  At  first  he  cut  the 
mark  of  his  tribe  or  clan  on  rocks  and  trees  as  he  went 
about  the  country;  then  he  began  to  paint  at  home  on 
bark  or  skins,  and  became  so  skilful  in  his  art  that  daily  a 
crowd  of  spectators  gathered  around  him,  watching  men 
and  animals,  warriors  and  chiefs,  grow  under  his  clever 
fingers. 

With  charcoal  and  red  ocher  and  varicolored  dyes  ex- 
tracted from  the  roots  of  plants  for  the  purpose,  he  depicted 
such  mighty  deeds  as  he  heard  the  chiefs  relate  nightly 
before  the  camp-fire,  and  common  scenes  of  the  Indian  boy's 
life  in  the  open,  or  such  exploits  as  he  himself  dreamed  some 
day  of  achieving. 

Then  he  undertook  a  more  important  piece  of  work,  a 
ceremonial  robe,  which  at  last  was  finished.  Of  softest  deer- 
skin it  was  made,  hanging  from  the  shoulders  in  the  loose, 
straight  fashion  of  such  garments.  On  one  side  the  sign 
of  the  bear,  his  mother's  clan,  was  painted  between  the 
shoulders,  and  on  the  other,  in  red  and  black  characters, 
was  a  tale  of  battle  in  which  Cherokee  warriors  figured 
prominently. 

The  robe  was  done,  and  Atakullakulla  had  ordered  a 
5  57 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

dance  in  honor  of  the  boy  whose  abihty  was  acknowledged 
by  all,  and  held  in  superstitious  awe  by  many,  who  felt  that 
either  the  Great  Spirit  or  the  powers  of  darkness  must 
have  had  a  hand  in  creating  such  work — and  who  could 
say  which  ? 

It  was  the  hour  for  the  dance,  and  by  mountain  trail 
and  valley  road  and  from  every  Cherokee  habitation  dotted 
over  the  hillside  came  warriors  and  women  to  an  open  space, 
used  almost  nightly  for  dancing.  Not  a  warrior  of  the 
tribe  was  absent,  and  Sequoyah  was  a  conspicuous  feature 
in  the  foreground  of  the  crowd. 

In  the  flare  of  many  torches  the  brilliantly  painted 
faces  and  elaborately  stained  bodies  of  the  warriors  shone 
in  glistening  gaiety,  while  their  ears,  slit  and  stretched 
to  an  enormous  size,  according  to  the  habit  of  the  tribe, 
did  not  add  to  their  beauty;  but  the  women,  with  their 
flowing  black  hair  and  gaily  beaded  garments,  were  taller 
and  finer-looking  than  the  men,  as  they  moved  among  the 
crowd  with  lithe  dignity  and  grace. 

All  was  ready.  The  monotonous  music  of  drum  and 
rattle  began,  then  stopped.  From  the  crowd,  his  toma- 
hawk whirling  above  his  head,  a  warrior  sprang  to  the 
central  cleared  space  and  hopped  and  danced  and  capered 
to  the  fantastic  rhythm  of  drum  and  rattle,  then  gave  a  blood- 
curdling whoop.  The  music  stopped  again;  the  torches 
flared.  Assuming  a  dramatic  pose,  the  hero  began  a  stirring 
tale  of  the  taking  of  his  first  scalp;  then,  pulling  from  his 
belt  a  string  of  wampum,  he  threw  it  carelessly  on  a  huge 
bearskin  spread  for  the  purpose  at  his  feet.  Again  the  mu- 
sic, the  dancing,  the  tale  of  mighty  deeds.  Then  he  sprang 
back  into  the  crowd,  and  another  warrior  jumped  forward 
to  whoop  and  dance  and  pose  and  throw  his  present  on  the 
bearskin;    and  this  went  on  until   every   man   there    had 

58 


SEQUOYAH 

told  his  tale  and  thrown  his  offering  on  the  skin.  The 
music  then  stopped  playing  while  the  gifts  were  counted 
and  divided  between  the  musicians  and  Sequoyah,  the  hero 
of  the  dance,  who,  as  the  sun  rose  over  the  hills,  bore  home 
a  heavy  offering  of  paint,  wire,  arrow-heads,  and,  best 
of  all,  wampum,  the  Indian  money,  of  which  there  was  a 
small  gourd  full. 

Having  won  such  a  triumph  and  done  such  a  large  piece 
of  picture-writing  Sequoyah  was  no  longer  willing  to  make 
use  of  smaller  surface  for  his  work,  but  it  was  not  easy  to 
obtain  buffalo-hides  or  deerskins,  as  those  who  secured  them 
in  hunting  bartered  them  to  the  English  for  the  commodi- 
ties of  life;  so  Sequoyah  took  his  bow  and  went  into  the 
forest  to  secure  for  himself  the  coveted  material. 

Quick  of  eye  and  sure  of  foot  as  an  Indian  youth  should 
be,  in  the  swift  pursuit  of  a  fleeting  stag  he  crept  down 
a  steep  incline  heedless  that  the  earth  had  been  loosened 
by  a  storm;  he  slipped  with  the  sliding  ground,  a  rock 
fell,  pinning  him  under  its  huge  surface,  and  for  a  full  hour  he 
lay  writhing  in  its  giant  grip  before  he  was  found  and 
extricated.  Two  stalwart  Indians  carried  him  home,  and 
then  followed  long  weeks  of  torture,  during  which  he  suffered 
as  only  a  wild  creature  in  captivity  can  suffer.  Roots  and 
herbs  were  first  tried,  but  failed  to  allay  the  agony  in  his 
back,  the  tribal  medicine  was  administered  without  suc- 
cess, and  as  a  final  resort  a  mystery  or  medicine  man, 
was  called.  He  inquired  carefully  into  Sequoyah's  symp- 
toms, dreams,  and  sins,  and  announced  that  he  would 
attempt  a  cure  of  the  young  patient.  The  news  spread 
rapidly,  and  several  hundred  spectators,  including  Indians 
and  traders,  gathered  as  if  by  magic  to  see  the  trial  made. 

The  man  of  mystery  gave  his  commands.  The  crowd 
must  form  a  ring  around  Sequoyah,  who  lay  on  a  mattress 

59 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

of  boughs.  There  must  be  space  left  around  him  for  any- 
necessary  operations  to  take  place,  and  an  opening  must 
be  left  through  the  crowd  wide  enough  for  the  healer  to 
pass  through  without  touching  any  one,  a  very  necessary 
part  of  the  ceremony. 

The  commands  having  been  obeyed,  there  was  a  mur- 
mur of  *'Hush-sh-sh-sh!  he  is  coming!''  followed  by  a 
deathlike  stillness. 

Softly  the  medicine-man  crept  up  the  aisle  opened  for 
him  through  the  crowd;  there  was  no  noise  of  his  stealthy 
footsteps,  no  sound  except  the  tinkling  of  ornaments  on  his 
dress.  Slowly,  silently;  crouching,  he  crept  into  the  ring 
with  a  slow,  tilting  step,  swaying  to  one  side  and  the  other, 
his  body  and  head  covered  entirely  with  the  skin  of  a  yellow 
bear,  the  head  of  which  (his  own  being  inside)  served  as  a 
mask.  In  one  hand  he  shook  a  huge  rattle  and  with  the 
other  brandished  his  magic  medicine-wand.  Then,  dancing 
and  pawing  and  jumping  around  Sequoyah,  he  yelped  and 
howled  and  growled  and  grunted  and  snarled,  muttering 
an  incantation  to  both  good  and  bad  spirits,  while  he 
clapped  a  paw  on  various  parts  of  Sequoyah's  back,  moisten- 
ing it  with  saliva  now  and  again.  For  half  an  hour  this 
strange  operation  was  kept  up,  the  audience  remaining 
in  awed  silence.  No  sign  of  change  or  relief  was  visible 
on  Sequoyah's  face.  The  healer  stopped  for  a  moment 
with  arms  outstretched  like  wings,  viewing  his  prostrate 
patient;  then  with  a  sudden  whoop  he  dashed  through  the 
crowd  and  disappeared,  though  Sequoyah's  pain  was 
unrelieved. 

The  supreme  arts  of  medicine  and  mystery  having  been 
put  to  the  test  and  failed,  there  was  nothing  further  to  try, 
and  Sequoyah  was  obliged  to  make  the  best  of  his  limita- 
tions, to  bear  the  pain,^which  gradually  lessened;  and,  though 

60 


S  EQUO YAH 

he  was  never  again  able  to  hunt  or  swim  or  run,  yet  as  time 
wore  on  he  was  able  to  take  his  place  among  the  men  of 
his  tribe,  and  the  disability  gave  him  only  a  passing  regret, 
for  it  served  as  a  greater  excuse  for  turning  his  attention 
in  a  more  pleasing  direction  than  that  of  physical  exercise. 

While  he  had  been  so  absorbed  in  "picture-writing" 
before  his  accident,  he  had  felt  a  keen  desire  to  create 
objects  of  artistic  beauty,  and  now  at  a  rude  forge,  hastily 
constructed  for  the  purpose,  he  began  to  make  the  silver 
ornaments  so  universally  worn  by  both  Indian  men  and 
women. 

His  experiments  were  successful  beyond  his  wildest  hopes, 
and  when  he  showed  the  first  armlets,  ear-rings,  and  brooches 
of  his  own  designing,  those  who  saw  them  hastily  spread 
the  news  of  Sequoyah's  new  achievement.  At  once  he  be- 
came a  most  popular  person,  especially  with  the  Indian 
maidens,  who  daily  visited  the  forge,  and  many  a  smile  was 
flashed  from  black-eyed  beauties  in  exchange  for  coveted 
trinkets,  while  Sequoyah  grew  daily  more  susceptible  to  the 
flattery  they  gave  him.  One  dark-skinned  young  girl  of 
his  own  clan,  as  shy  as  a  deer  and  as  beautiful  as  the  sunrise, 
in  her  soft  skin  garment,  with  its  gay  bead-work,  so  pierced 
the  young  artist's  heart  with  the  arrow  of  her  intense 
admiration  that,  after  offering  her  his  most  elaborate  designs 
for  a  mere  smile,  he  added  his  heart,  and  the  bargain  was 
concluded — the  marriage  arranged. 

Because  of  the  novelty  of  Sequoyah's  designs  and  the 
perfection  of  their  execution  they  were  in  great  demand 
as  well  by  the  traders  and  settlers  as  by  the  Indians,  and 
money  and  praise  flowed  in  fast;  but  in  a  sudden  reaction — 
for  his  temperament  was  one  of  moods — he  cast  aside  his 
artistic  work  for  the  making  of  hoes  and  rakes  and  spades. 
These  were  so  much   more  practical  in  design  than  an}^ 

6i 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

Others,  that  EngHsh  and  Cherokee,  colonist  and  settler,  at 
once  eagerly  bought  and  put  them  into  use;  and,  wishing 
to  have  the  credit  of  his  superior  w^orkmanship,  Sequoyah 
asked  a  friendly  white  man  to  put  his  name  on  a  piece  of 
paper.  This  Mr.  Lowrey  did,  using  Sequoyah's  English 
name,  George  Guess,  and  from  it  Sequoyah  made  a  die 
with  which  from  that  day  every  article  made  by  him  was 
stamped. 

But  success  with  its  accompaniment  of  money  and  popu- 
larity did  Sequoyah  great  injury.  Seeing  his  fascination  for 
the  girls,  the  young  Indian  braves  also  flocked  to  his  forge 
to  admire  his  work;  and  Sequoyah,  with  true  Indian  hos- 
pitality, responded  to  their  admiration  by  lavish  enter- 
taining of  a  diff*erent  kind  from  that  of  an  earlier  day, 
when  the  Cherokee  "treated  "  with  game  and  sweet-potatoes. 
Instead,  Sequoyah  would  buy  a  keg  of  the  white  man's  rum 
— alas,  for  that  evil  habit  of  the  Indian  the  white  man 
alone  stands  responsible — and  with  a  party  of  his  boon 
companions  and  flatterers  would  retire  to  the  woods,  there 
to  remain  until  the  keg  was  empty  and  the  eff*ects  of  the 
debauch  had  worn  off.  This  occurred  so  often  that  his 
supply  of  money  ran  low,  the  forge  was  unused,  his  pretty 
squaw  was  neglected,  and  he  himself  was  fast  losing  his 
remarkable  ability  in  handicraft,  when  his  weakness  be- 
came common  talk  among  the  white  men,  to  whom  the 
talented  young  Indian  was  an  object  of  keen  interest. 
Then  Mr.  Lowrey,  always  Sequoyah's  good  friend,  resolved 
to  make  a  great  effort  to  save  the  young  man  from  his 
evil  habits.  Plunging  boldly  into  the  forest,  he  found 
Sequoyah  and  four  comrades,  all  in  a  heavy  stupor,  and 
carried  off  the  unresisting  artist  to  his  own  log  house,  where, 
as  soon  as  the  effects  of  the  rum  had  worn  off  enough  to 
leave   Sequoyah   clear-headed   again,   he   spoke   to  him   in 

62 


SEQUOYAH 

cleverly  calculated  words  of  the  commercial  value  of  the 
talent  he  was  ruining  and  his  great  importance  in  his  tribe 
and  clan. 

Gravely  Sequoyah  listened,  gravely  he  gripped  Mr.  Low- 
rey's  hand,  and,  nodding,  spoke  of  his  determination  to 
give  up  the  "fire-water"  and  all  that  it  led  to.  And  he  was 
as  good  as  his  word. 

Breaking  away  from  the  seductive  band  of  flatterers,  he 
started  his  forge  again,  made  peace  with  his  little  wife,  and 
began  to  spend  his  leisure  hours  with  the  older  and  wiser 
men  of  the  tribe,  whose  discussions  were  of  serious  matters 
and  from  whom  he  could  gain  much  valuable  information* 
Among  them  he  heard  many  conversations  concerning  the 
magic  power  possessed  by  the  white  man  of  making  curious 
marks  on  paper,  such  as  those  in  which  Mr.  Lowrey  had 
written  his  name,  which  meant  the  same  thing  to  every 
white  man,  unlike  the  picture-writing  of  the  Indian,  which 
meant  this  or  that  according  to  the  imagination  of  those 
who  examined  it.  Some  spoke  of  this  power  of  the  white 
man  reverently  as  a  gift  of  the  Great  Spirit,  while  others, 
less  reverent  and  more  superstitious,  characterized  it  as 
sorcery  or  a  clever  trick.  Sequoyah  alone  pronounced  it  an 
art  which  could  be  practised  by  red  men  as  well  as  white 
if  they  only  had  the  ingenuity.  Something  of  equal  value  to 
the  Indian  he,  Sequoyah,  could  and  would  invent  for  the 
Cherokee.  He  spoke  confidently  of  his  ability  to  "talk  on 
paper,"  but  those  who  heard  the  statement  only  laughed  in 
his  face  and  paid  no  attention  to  his  assertion.  As  in  his 
other  achievements,  however,  he  was  too  deeply  interested 
to  heed  their  ridicule  or  incredulity.  From  the  days  of  his 
early  picture-writing  he  had  felt  awe  for  the  civilization  and 
education  of  the  white  man  —  now  he  was  going  to  probe 
into  its  causes  and  educate  his  tribe,  if  that  were  possible. 

63 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

Gathering  together  a  large  number  of  thin  birchwood 
sheets,  on  each  one  with  infinite  care  and  labor  he  painted 
a  picture  representing  the  name  of  some  natural  object. 
The  process  took  a  long  time  and  was  so  difficult  that  he 
was  obliged  to  give  it  up  as  useless  when  he  found  that  he 
had  accumulated  a  number  of  characters  greater  than  he 
could  remember,  while  the  vocabulary  of  the  language  was 
still  far  from  complete. 

But  this  did  not  discourage  him;  in  fact,  his  interest  was 
always  keener  in  any  line  of  work  which  presented  diffi- 
culties to  solve,  and  he  began  again.  Trading  some  silver 
ornaments  for  sheets  of  wrapping-paper,  he  bound  them 
with  thongs  of  deerskin  into  a  rough  book,  and  began  another 
series  of  experiments,  helped  now  by  some  torn  leaves  out 
of  an  old  English  spelling-book  which  he  bartered  from  a 
fur- trader.  He  could  not  read  a  word  on  the  '^ talking 
leaves,"  as  he  called  the  pages,  but  he  saw  that  they  were 
covered  with  figures  of  distinct  shape,  such  figures  as  he  was 
taxing  his  brain  to  invent  for  his  own  Cherokee  alphabet. 
Some  of  the  English  characters  he  copied,  and  adopted  for 
his  work,  pronouncing  them  in  an  entirely  different  way 
from  that  used  in  our  English  alphabet.  For  example,  he 
appropriated  the  letters  W,  H,  and  B,  but  W  stands  for 
the  sound  la  and  the  others  for  sounds  just  as  far  from 
their  English  equivalents. 

Patiently,  laboriously,  he  worked  on,  trying  to  gather 
some  idea  from  the  English  pages  from  which  to  construct 
his  own  system  of  characters  and  words,  and  finally  con- 
cluded that  as  there  were  eighty-six  syllables  in  Cherokee, 
he  would  make  a  series  of  eighty-six  characters  to  represent 
them,  and  by  study  found  that  these  characters  could  be 
so  combined  as  to  represent  every  word  in  the  Cherokee 
dialect.     This  discovery  brought  with  it  not  only  elation, 

64 


SEQUOYAH 

but  suspense,  for  who  could  yet  say  whether  he  could  work 
it  out  to  a  practical  result  or  not? 

On  he  toiled  through  two  years,  so  absorbed  in  perfecting 
his  system  that  not  only  were  wife,  forge,  and  comrades 
neglected,  but  he  was  oblivious  to  the  encroachments  of 
white  settlers  upon  lands  which  had  been  reserved  for  the 
Cherokees  by  treaty  with  the  government,  whose  bad 
faith  now  obliged  the  tribe  to  cede  away  tract  after  tract  of 
their  most  valuable  property.  There  was,  therefore,  war- 
fare constant  and  bitter  between  the  Cherokees,  the  State 
of  Georgia,  and  the  United  States  government;  and  the 
Cherokees  were  fiercely  resisting  the  determined  effort  of 
the  government  to  let  in  the  white  man  and  drive  the 
Indian  of  the  southern  Alleghanies  beyond  the  Mississippi 
River.  There  some  of  the  tribe,  worn  out  with  their  unequal 
struggle  with  more  civilized  powers,  had  already  settled  in 
Arkansas  and  were  forming  a  new  community  on  the  large 
tract  of  land  allotted  them  by  the  government. 

But  to  this  sad  condition  of  affairs  Sequoyah  was  in- 
different, so  long  as  his  work  was  not  interrupted.  Daily 
he  was  to  be  found  in  the  clearing  behind  his  log  house, 
careless  of  incredulity  or  disapproval,  absorbed  in  thought 
and  study  from  dawn  until  darkness  fell.  Then,  rousing  at 
the  touch  of  a  small  hand,  he  would  answer  the  appeal  of 
his  six-year-old  daughter,  reluctantly  follow  her  to  the 
house  for  the  evening  meal,  and  later  enjoy  the  flickering 
glow  of  the  camp-fire  with  family  and  friends — but  with 
his  thought  constantly  on  the  subject  nearest  his  heart. 

At  last  the  eighty-six  characters  of  his  alphabet  were 
achieved.    Now  for  a  proof  of  its  value! 

Calhng  his  Httle  girl  to  his  side,  he  taught  her  the  first 
character,  then  another  and  another,  persisting  day  by 
day  until  she  had  learned  the  entire  alphabet.      Then  he 

6S 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

asked  her  to  write  one  word  and  a  second  and  third  at 
his  dictation.  The  test  was  satisfactory!  She  could  write 
and  read  correctly  any  word  he  asked  for,  by  combining 
the  characters  according  to  the  sound  of  the  word  required. 
Now  to  show  his  people  the  wonderful  achievement  and 
prove  its  value  to  the  nation! 

But  this  was  not  so  easy  a  task.  Even  Mr.  Lowrey  was 
so  skeptical  of  the  Cherokee's  ability  to  create  an  alphabet 
that  he  put  off  the  test  of  it  week  after  week,  despite  Se- 
quoyah's pleading.  At  last,  merely  from  a  good-natured 
desire  to  please  the  eager  Indian,  Mr.  Lowrey  went  to  his 
log  house  to  see  the  great  invention  put  to  the  proof. 

Gleefully  Sequoyah  asked  him  to  dictate  several  words 
and  sentences,  which  he  wrote  down  in  the  Cherokee  char- 
acters. Then,  calling  his  little  girl  from  her  play,  he  showed 
her  what  he  had  written,  and  without  hesitation  or  diffi- 
culty she  read  the  sentences.  Greatly  interested  now,  Mr. 
Lowrey  himself  sent  her  away  and  dictated  more  sentences, 
even  a  short  story,  and  every  time  the  child  read  what 
was  written  quickly  and  easily.  This  was  remarkable. 
Grasping  Sequoyah's  hand,  Mr.  Lowrey  expressed  his  in- 
tense interest  and  surprise  in  what  Sequoyah  had  achieved, 
and  promised  to  help  him  gain  recognition  of  his  work. 

But  here  again  came  a  period  of  weary  waiting,  for  any 
mention  of  the  subject  to  a  Cherokee  was  met  by  a  shake  of 
the  head  and  the  exclamation  "Poor  old  Sequoyah!" 
There  was  prejudice  against  the  ways  of  the  white  man  to 
contend  with,  distrust  of  anything  so  alien  to  the  custom  of 
the  tribe,  and  an  intense  fear  of  sorcery,  and  it  took  ten 
long  years  to  convince  the  Cherokees  that  there  might  be 
something  of  value  to  the  nation  in  this  achievement  of 
Sequoyah's,  and  he  was  a  man  full  fifty  years  old  when 
the  head  chiefs  of  the  tribe  at  last  consented  to  a  public 

66 


SEQUOYAH 

test  of  the  new  alphabet.  Accordingly,  a  number  of  the 
most  intelligent  young  men  of  the  tribe  were  asked  to  place 
themselves  under  Sequoyah's  tuition  that  they  might  give 
a  trial  to  this  invention  which  was  so  much  talked  about 
by  Mr.  Lowrey.  For  three  days  the  new  scholars  were 
absent  from  dance  and  hunt,  then,  having  learned  the 
alphabet,  were  called  before  a  body  of  judges  chosen  for 
the  purpose,  and  in  the  presence  of  an  immense  crowd  of 
spectators  wrote  and  read  sentences  dictated  either  by  one 
of  the  judges  or  by  one  of  the  excited  audience. 

It  was  the  supreme  moment  of  Sequoyah's  life.  The 
chorus  of  applause  swelled  to  a  huge  volume  of  sound;  a 
murmur  of  admiration  rose  from  every  mouth,  while  scores 
of  upturned  faces  expressed  not  only  surprise  but  awe  that 
one  of  their  own  people  had  been  able  to  achieve  this  thing 
for  his  tribe.    What  more  could  Sequoyah  ask  than  this  ? 

Once  aroused,  public  interest  rose  to  a  flood-tide  of  enthu- 
siasm, and  so  many  students  flocked  about  "  The  Master," 
as  he  was  now  called,  that  he  could  not  teach  them  all. 
The  boys  and  young  warriors  of  the  tribe,  catching  the 
fever  from  those  first  pupils,  were  all  seized  with  a  mad 
desire  for  lessons  in  the  new  art  of  writing  and  reading, 
for  the  speedy  ability  to  make  use  of  Sequoyah's  "talking- 
leaves,"  and  the  older  men  of  the  tribe  began  to  grumble 
over  the  enchantment  which  was  making  the  young  forgetful 
of  warfare,  chase,  and  dance,  while  they  spent  their  time 
poring  over  bits  of  paper.  But  the  objections  of  age  could 
not  overcome  the  enthusiasm  of  youth,  and  the  progressive 
party  had  its  way.  Schools  were  opened,  text-books  were 
compiled,  and  Sequoyah  thrilled  with  joy  over  the  results 
of  his  labor  and  the  honors  paid  to  him. 

However,  neither  the  achievement  or  its  flattering  results 
turned  his  head,  as  success  used  to  do.    This  he  took  seri- 

67 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

ously,  and  his  one  thought  was  to  spread  his  wonderful 
invention  wherever  there  was  a  Cherokee  to  profit  by  it. 
Part  of  his  tribe  had  already  settled  in  Arkansas — to  Arkan- 
sas he  would  go  with  his  precious  gift  of  an  alphabet. 

His  arrival  there  made  a  stir  in  the  new  colony,  and 
there  was  intense  excitement  when,  gathering  the  settlers 
together  in  a  public  place,  he  told  them  the  story  of  his 
invention  and  the  marvelous  results  of  its  use.  Then  he 
invited  pupils  to  test  its  worth,  and  there  was  the  same 
public  trial  and  public  acclaim  as  in  Georgia  over  this 
system  which  raised  the  Cherokee  to  a  footing  with  the 
white  man.  Almost  every  warrior  in  the  settlement  placed 
himself  under  Sequoyah's  tuition,  and  he  taught  diligently 
until  he  saw  the  results  for  which  he  had  been  watching. 
Then  the  time  had  come  for  him  to  go  back  to  Georgia. 
When  he  announced  this  intention  there  was  a  chorus  of 
protests,  but  the  firmness  of  his  resolve  allowed  of  no  alterna- 
tive, and  so  he  was  allowed  to  go,  after  he  had  promised 
to  correspond  with  his  new  pupils,  which  promise  he 
faithfully  kept,  although  this  use  of  the  Cherokee  "talking- 
leaves"  to  send  news  from  such  a  distance  caused  some 
superstitious  persons  to  malign  both  teacher  and  pupils. 

Full  of  elation  that  he  had  been  able  to  spread  education 
among  his  people,  he  journeyed  back  to  Georgia;  but 
even  with  his  knowledge  of  what  he  had  achieved,  on  his  re- 
turn he  was  completely  unprepared  to  receive  an  invitation 
to  a  public  gathering  in  his  own  honor,  and  still  more  so 
when,  with  appropriate  ceremonies,  he  was  presented  with 
a  silver  medal  in  recognition  of  his  valuable  service  to  his 
tribe.  With  great  solemnity  the  medal  was  suspended 
around  Sequoyah's  neck,  and  he  wore  itj^always  afterward, 
exhibiting  it  with  the  greatest  pride. 

No  sooner  had  he  settled  in  his  old  home  than  pupils 

68 


SEQUOYAH 

flocked  around  him  again,  begging  for  instruction,  and  for 
almost  a  year  every  hour  of  his  days  was  filled  with  teach- 
ing; but  the  constant  warfare  between  the  government,  the 
invading  settlers,  and  his  tribe  became  so  distasteful  to  him 
that  he  again  said  farewell  to  his  old  comrades  and  returned 
to  Arkansas,  where  he  settled  permanently,  becoming  a 
prominent  feature  in  the  community;  and  soon  he  had  the 
extreme  satisfaction  of  reading  parts  of  the  Bible  translated 
into  Cherokee  by  means  of  his  alphabet,  and  also,  in  1828, 
of  seeing  The  Phcenix,  the  first  newspaper  printed  in  English 
and  Cherokee,  successfully  issued. 

In  that  same  year  Sequoyah,  now  a  man  of  dignified 
bearing  and  of  a  pohshed  manner,  was  sent  to  Washington 
as  an  envoy  of  the  Arkansas  band  in  whose  affairs  he  played 
such  a  conspicuous  part,  and  both  the  trip  and  his  inter- 
views with  the  "Great  Father"  and  other  statesmen  were 
a  keen  satisfaction  to  the  quick-minded  Indian,  who  w^as 
able  later  to  put  into  practice  several  ideas  which  he  gained 
in  Washington. 

Ten  years  went  by,  and  when  the  march  of  civilization 
drove  the  remaining  eastern  Cherokees  to  join  the  western 
settlement,  they  found  their  old  comrade  exerting  a  marked 
influence  in  the  Arkansas  community,  and  he  continued  to 
be  a  powerful  factor  in  the  reunited  nation. 

But  intoxicating  as  power  is  to  a  man  of  Sequoyah's 
temperament,  yet,  as  of  old,  speculative  ideals  were  always 
more  important  to  him  than  the  more  practical  ones  of 
politics  and  society,  and  the  desire  to  further  extend  the 
knowledge  of  his  alphabet  possessed  him. 

From  the  moment  when  he  heard  that  a  lost  tribe  of  the 
Cherokees  were  supposed  to  be  living  in  the  still  more 
remote  West,  to  go  in  search  of  them  with  his  precious  gift 
became  his  dominant  idea,  and  he  laid  his  project  before 

69 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

the  nation,  with  an  appeal  for  an  annuity  equal  to  the  salary 
of  a  chief,  to  support  him  during  his^trip  to  the  Far  West 
for  the  furtherance  of  education  among  his  people. 

The  plea  was  granted,  and  Sequoyah,  now  over  seventy 
years  old,  gleefully  fitted  up  a  prairie-wagon  with  camp 
equipment,  and  also  with  books  and  writing-materials — in 
fact,  with  everything  needed  for  the  instructing  of  those 
who  might  desire  to  be  taught. 

Then  he  'started  out,  journeying  across  the  mountains 
and  prairies  in  search  of  New  Mexico  and  the  missing  tribe. 
His  granddaughter,  who  saw  the  expedition  start,  has 
written  an  account  of  it. 

She  says: 

I  remember  well  the  morning  they  left.  His  son,  Teece,  and 
several  other  men — I  do  not  know  their  names — went  with  him. 
He  limped  a  little  as  he  walked,  and  coughed  a  great  deal.  It 
was  said  that  he  had  the  breast  complaint.  His  friends  thought 
a  change  of  climate  would  help  him.  I  was  present  when  the 
men  returned  and  reported  his  death. 

They  told  how  his  health  began  to  improve  until  after  passing 
Grand  River.  Then  they  found  only  bad  water;  .  .  .  the  pro- 
visions became  scarce  and  they  depended  entirely  on  game.  It 
seemed  that  there  was  nothing  for  them.  One  of  the  men  always 
stayed  with  Sequoyah  until  at  last  he  sent  them  all  to  hunt. 
They  remained  overnight,  and  on  their  return  to  the  place  next 
day  where  they  had  left  him,  he  was  gone,  but  had  left  directions 
for  them  to  follow  him  to  another  place  which  he  described. 

They  hurried  on,  but  found  him  dead.  They  put  his  papers 
with  his  body  and  wrapped  it  with  blankets  and  put  it  away  upon 
a  kind  of  shelf  in  a  small  cave  where  nothing  could  disturb  it. 
They  said  they  marked  the  place  so  they  could  find  it,  but  the  men 
sent  to  bring  the  body  failed  to  find  the  place. 

Indomitable  Sequoyah!  His  final  resting-place  may  be 
unmarked,  but  his  lasting  monument  is  that  gift  to  his  peo- 
ple which  lifted  them  from  barbarism  into  a  place  among  the 

70 


SEQUOYAH 

civilized  nations  of  the  world.  The  pages  of  history  are 
filled  with  names  of  Indians  who  did  mighty  deeds  of  valor, 
from  whose  belts  hang  the  scalp-locks  of  unnumbered  vic- 
tims, and  in  whose  strong  right  arms  lies  the  secret  of  their 
supremacy.  From  the  time  of  Red  Jacket,  the  orator  of 
the  Senecas,  to  the  great  Sitting  Bull  of  our  own  time, 
there  is  a  long  line  of  Indian  prophets  who  forecast  and 
inveigh  against  the  white  man's  supremacy  in  words  of 
burning  eloquence ;  there  are  chiefs  and  warriors  whose 
prowess  in  war  has  been  chronicled  over  and  over  again, 
but  fitting  tribute  has  never  been  paid  to  Sequoyah,  keen- 
eyed,  far-sighted,  with  the  vision  of  such  priceless  worth 
to  his  people. 

Crippled  in  body,  but  strong  in  mind  and  inspiration,  he 
stands  alone,  unique,  among  the  Cherokees  of  Georgia,  the 
Cadmus  of  his  tribe. 


KING     PHILIP 


KING  PHILIP:    HERO  OF  THE  WAMPANOAGS 

THAT  was  a  strange  gathering  on  the  nth  of  April, 
1 67 1,  in  the  little  meeting-house  at  Taunton,  Massa- 
chusetts, when  Puritans  and  savages  were  awaiting  the 
conference  for  which  they  had  been  called  together. 

Fierce  Indian  braves,  armed  and  painted  as  if  for  war, 
wrapped  in  the  gayest  of  mantles,  their  flowing  black  hair 
decorated  with  sweeping  plumes  and  fantastic  head-dresses, 
were  in  marked  contrast  to  the  austere  Puritans  who  sat 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  meeting-house,  in  plain  black 
garb,  with  close -cut  hair  and  portentously  long  faces. 
Facing  Puritans  and  savages  before  the  rude  pulpit  of  the 
place  of  worship  were  ranged  three  stern  Massachusetts 
commissioners,  sent  by  the  governor  as  umpires  of  this 
conference  which  had  been  called  at  the  demand  of  the 
Plymouth  colony. 

The  reason  for  this  leads  us  back  to  the  time  when  Massa- 
soit,  the  revered  old  chieftain  of  the  Wampanoags,  died, 
leaving  two  sons,  Wamsutta,  or  Alexander,  as  the  English 
named  him,  who  succeeded  his  father  as  chief  of  the  tribe, 
and  Pometacom,  or  Philip,  who  in  his  turn  came  to  the 
Indian  throne  when  Alexander  died,  poisoned  by  the  EngHsh, 
so  his  wife  and  subjects  believed.  Really,  he  was  the  victim 
of  a  broken  heart  because  of  the  indignity  offered  him  when 
he  was  arrested  and  taken  by  force  to  Plymouth  to  answer 
to  a  charge  of  plotting  against  the  colonists. 

This  so  broke  Alexander's  proud  spirit  that  on  the  way 

75 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

to  Plymouth  he  was  found  to  be  dying,  and  his  escort,  moor- 
ing their  canoes  by  the  river  edge,  landed  and  placed  him 
on  a  grassy  mound  under  an  overarching  tree.  There,  with 
his  warriors  gathered  around  him  and  his  head  pillowed  in 
the  lap  of  his  beautiful  and  devoted  wife,  Wetamoo,  he  died, 
leaving  such  a  fire  of  revenge  in  the  heart  of  Wetamoo  as 
was  later  to  flame  into  disaster  for  the  race  she  held  respon- 
sible for  her  husband's  death.  By  birth  Wetamoo  was  a 
princess  of  the  Pocasset  tribe,  and  could  command  several 
hundred  warriors  if  she  so  desired,  so  in  her  the  new  king, 
Philip,  would  have  a  valuable  ally  if  he  went  to  war  against 
the  English. 

Phihp,  "broad-browed  and  noble-minded,"  was  an  Indian 
of  superior  mind  as  well  as  of  superb  physical  endowment 
when  he  became  monarch  of  the  Wampanoags.  He  knew 
only  too  well  the  power  of  the  English  and  the  danger  to 
be  faced  in  declaring  war  against  them,  remembering  the 
fatal  termination  of  the  Pequot  War;  yet  he  saw  with  equal 
plainness  that  unless  the  encroachments  of  the  English 
could  be  stopped  his  own  race  was  doomed. 

In  his  father's  day  the  power  of  the  Wampanoags,  because 
of  the  mental  and  military  ability  of  their  leader,  had  ex- 
tended over  more  than  thirty  tribes  in  Rhode  Island  and 
Massachusetts.  But,  though  they  were  a  powerful  forest 
nation,  they  were  a  peaceful  one,  as  for  forty  years  they  had 
not  waged  war  against  the  English  or  any  other  tribe.  Now, 
however,  Philip  foresaw  that  war  must  soon  come  if  he  were 
to  protect  his  people  from  destruction;  but  with  the  caution 
of  a  born  general  he  determined  to  wait  until  he  had  good 
reason  for  action  before  striking  a  blow  at  the  colonists. 

The  new  king  of  the  Wampanoags  took  up  his  residence 
at  Pokanoket,  or  Mount  Hope,  which  had  been  the  principal 
settlement  of  the  tribe  since  Massasoit's  time.    The  famous 

76 


KING    PHILIP 

hill  is  on  the  east  side  of  Narragansett  Bay,  on  the  Bristol 
peninsula,  and  had  been  selected  by  the  veteran  Indian 
king  for  his  royal  headquarters  because  of  its  extensive 
view  of  far-reaching  forests  and  wide  indented  bays.  Massa- 
soit's  residence  had  been  a  rough  lodge  in  a  clearing  of  the 
forest,  but  King  Philip  erected  a  more  elaborate  building 
of  logs  and  bark  for  his  own  use,  while  the  lodges  of  his 
chiefs  were  scattered  over  the  surrounding  acres  of  wood- 
land to  the  edge  of  a  great  swamp  near  by. 

There,  at  Mount  Hope,  for  nine  long  years  Philip  lived 
in  retirement,  waiting  for  his  hour  to  come;  and  while  he 
waited  Indians  and  colonists  became  more  exasperated 
against  one  another,  for  deeds  of  violence  were  committed 
constantly  on  both  sides;  but  PhiHp  was  not  yet  ready  to 
make  a  move,  being  still  busy  with  completing  his  plan  for 
an  alliance  of  all  the  New  England  tribes,  except  the  Mohe- 
gans,  who  were  loyal  allies  of  the  English. 

At  one  time  during  those  years  of  waiting  PhiHp  was 
strongly  drawn  toward  the  religion  taught  by  Christian 
missionaries,  but  he  was  quick-witted  enough  to  realize  that 
with  the  introduction  of  Christianity  all  the  manners  and 
customs  pecuHar  to  his  people  must  give  way  to  those  of 
civilized  nations,  and  so  he  became  bitterly  opposed  to  the 
strange  religion. 

At  another  time,  having  heard  that  a  Christian  Indian 
named  Assassamooyh  (called  by  the  English  John  Gibbs) 
had  spoken  disrespectfully  of  his  father,  Massasoit,  Philip 
started  off  to  track  down  the  offender,  for  whose  lack  of 
reverence,  according  to  the  Indian  code,  he  should  instantly 
forfeit  his  life  at  the  hands  of  the  nearest  relative  of  the 
slandered  one. 

Assassamooyh  was  discovered  in  the  house  of  a  colonist 
on  the  island  of  Nantucket,  and  there  went  Philip  in  hot 

11 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

haste.  A  messenger  ran  in  to  Assassamooyh  and  announced 
breathlessly,  *^Pometacom  is  here'/'  Jumping  up,  Assassa- 
mooyh rushed  from  the  door,  with  PhiHp  at  his  heels.  From 
house  to  house  the  frightened  Indian  ran,  followed  by  Philip 
brandishing  his  tomahawk.  On  went  the  pursuer  and  pur- 
sued until  they  came  to  a  high  bank.  Down  leaped  Assassa- 
mooyh and  vanished  in  the  depths  of  the  forest,  while  Philip 
returned  to  the  shore  and  paddled  away  in  his  canoe,  feeling 
that  the  insult  to  his  father's  memory  had  been  suitably 
avenged,  even  though  he  had  not  killed  the  traitor. 

It  was  now  the  eighth  year  of  Philip's  reign  over  the  Wam- 
panoags,  and  there  were  persistent  rumors  of  war  among  the 
four  colonies  of  New  England,  although  there  were  no  posi- 
tive facts  to  confirm  the  rumors.  But  still  they  spread.  A 
superstitious  colonist  studying  the  heavens  on  a  clear  night 
declared  he  saw  an  Indian  bow  and  arrow  outlined  against 
the  sky;  again,  an  Indian  scalp  was  seen  silhouetted  against 
the  disk  of  an  eclipse  of  the  moon.  It  was  said  that  the 
northern  lights  were  ominously  bright,  that  troops  of  phan- 
tom horsemen  could  be  heard  dashing  through  the  air  by 
sensitive  ears,  the  sighing  of  the  night  wind  was  like  the 
sound  of  whistling  bullets,  and  the  howling  of  wolves  became 
more  fierce  and  constant  than  usual.  "A  portent  of  war, 
a  warning  of  punishment  for  sin — such  were  these  signs, 
so  the  colonists  declared — a  menace  of  coming  punishment 
for  swearing,  for  not  bringing  up  their  children  more  strictly 
in  religious  observances,  for  the  wearing  of  long  hair  by  the 
men  and  of  gay  clothing  by  the  women.  The  more  extreme 
Puritans  even  said  they  were  about  to  be  "judged"  for  not 
exterminating  the  Quakers." 

And  still  silently,  busily,  Philip  and  his  savage  forest 
nation  were  making  preparations  for  w^r,  wide-spread  and 
devastating. 

78 


KING    PHILIP 

The  colonists  sent  a  peremptory  message  to  the  great 
leader  to  appear  at  a  conference  and  give  a  reason  for  his 
warlike  acts,  of  which  they  had  heard.  He  sent  a  peremp- 
tory refusal.  A  second  and  more  imperative  summons  was 
sent,  and,  feeling  that  another  refusal  would  only  confirm 
the  suspicions  against  him,  Philip  and  his  train  of  brilliantly 
adorned  braves  marched  to  within  four  miles  of  Taunton, 
and  sent  a  message  to  the  English  governor,  requesting  him 
to  come  there  and  confer  with  him.  The  governor  refused, 
but  sent  several  able  colonists  to  assure  the  haughty  monarch 
of  his  entirely  friendly  feeling,  and  to  beg  Philip  to  go 
on  to  Taunton.  PhiHp  held  the  messengers  as  hostages  for 
his  safe  return,  and  marched  on  to  Taunton  with  his  impres- 
sive retinue. 

On  the  outskirts  of  the  village  he  again  halted,  and, 
establishing  sentinels  around  his  encampment,  received  the 
Massachusetts  commissioners  with  grave  courtesy  and  gave 
his  consent  to  a  conference  in  the  meeting-house,  provided, 
so  he  said,  that  half  of  the  building  might  be  appropriated 
to  the  exclusive  use  of  his  warriors,  while  his  accusers  should 
have  the  other  half,  and  the  commissioners  were  to  sit  alone 
as  umpires.  These  haughty  demands  having  been  acceded 
to,  the  conference  was  opened. 

Solemnly  a  speaker  for  the  colonists  preferred  the  charges 
against  Philip,  and  with  equal  solemnity  the  great  chief 
arose  to  make  his  answer.  "The  EngHsh,"  he  said,  "richly 
deserve  a  countercharge  of  depredations  on  our  property 
and  land — and  in  answer  to  the  question  of  my  warlike 
preparations,  surely  I  have  a  right  to  protect  my  people 
against  the  powerful  and  warlike  Narragansetts !" 

Immediately  a  colonist  arose  with  conclusive  contradictory 
evidence,  which  Phihp  parried  with  the  skill  of  a  diplomat, 
but  after  a  long  and  tedious  conference,  so  old  records  tell 

79 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

US,  Philip,  Standing  in  military  erectness  and  with  an  im- 
perious air,  confessed  his  preparations  for  war,  made  a  treaty 
of  friendship,  and  allowed  his  seventy  warriors  to  surrender 
their  guns  to  the  governor  of  Plymouth,  to  be  held  as  long 
as  he  should  distrust  the  sincerity  of  their  vows.  Philip 
also  promised  to  send  in  the  guns  of  his  absent  warriors  before 
the  autumn.  It  was  agreed,  too,  that  in  case  of  further 
trouble  between  colonists  and  Indians  both  should  submit 
their  complaint  to  the  arbitration  of  Massachusetts. 

Then  the  council  adjourned,  and  the  long  line  of  warriors 
and  Puritans  filed  out  of  the  little  meeting-house  and  went 
their  various  ways. 

Treaty  and  promise  were  soon  alike  forgotten  by  the 
Indians,  who  had  merely  made  them  to  extricate  themselves 
from  a  dilemma,  and  there  were  new  and  bitter  complaints 
made  against  Philip  by  the  Plymouth  colonists.  To  vindi- 
cate himself  from  these  he  went  to  Boston,  where  much  respect 
was  paid  the  proud  young  monarch,  whose  athletic  figure 
was  well  set  off  **by  a  coat  and  buckskins  set  thick  with 
beads,  in  pleasant  wild-work,  and  a  broad  belt  of  the  same." 
His  accoutrements  were  valued  at  twenty  pounds,  being 
decorated  with  beads,  which  are  Indian  money. 

So  cleverly  did  Philip  confer  with  the  Boston  authorities 
that  after  hearing  his  story  they  despatched  a  letter  to 
Plymouth,  in  w^hich  they  said : 

"We  do  not  understand  how  Philip  hath  subjected  him- 
self to  you.  But  the  treatment  you  have  given  him  and 
your  proceedings  toward  him  do  not  render  him  such  a 
subject  as  that,  if  there  be  not  a  present  answering  to 
summons,  there  should  presently  be  a  proceeding  to  hostili- 
ties. The  sword  once  dipped  in  blood  may  make  him  as 
independent  upon  you  as  you  are  upon  him." 

Again  a  council  was  called,  this  time  between  the  four 

80 


KING    PHILIP 

New  England  colonies  and  the  Wampanoags,  and  again 
Philip  confessed  himself  the  author  of  trouble,  and  promised 
to  pay  one  hundred  pounds,  "in  such  things  as  he  had,*'  as 
an  indemnity  for  the  expense  to  which  he  had  subjected 
the  colony,  and  promised  also  to  deliver  "five  wolves'  heads" 
annually  in  additional  payment  for  his  misdemeanors.  With 
this  promise  he  and  his  braves  filed  out  of  the  meeting- 
house and  left  Plymouth,  to  maintain  a  doubtful  peace 
with  the  Puritans  for  three  years,  while  Philip's  plans  were 
maturing. 

His  great  confederacy  was  to  include  all  the  New  England 
tribes  except  the  remaining  Pequots  and  the  Mohegans, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1676  the  confederated  tribes  were  to 
make  a  simultaneous  attack  on  all  the  settlements  in  New 
England,  so  that  the  colonies  could  not  aid  one  another,  by 
which  great  attack  the  extermination  of  the  English  was  to 
be  accomphshed. 

Philip  meanwhile  grew  more  and  more  aggressive  in  his 
acts,  and  so  bold  in  manner  that  the  governor  sent  an 
ambassador  to  demand  an  explanation  of  such  hostilities. 
Drawing  his  mantle  around  him  in  haughtydignity,Philip  said: 

"Your  governor  is  but  a  subject  of  King  Charles  of  Eng- 
land. I  shall  not  treat  with  a  subject.  I  shall  only  treat 
with  the  king,  my  brother.  When  he  comes,  I  am  ready!" 
And  on  went  preparations  for  war  and  acts  of  hostility  on 
the  part  of  the  Indians.  That  the  great  Wampanoag  leader 
dreaded  the  war,  and  actually  shed  tears  in  the  opening  act 
of  the  bloody  drama,  is  an  historical  fact,  and  his  reason  for 
resisting  the  colonists  lay  in  a  stern  resolve  to  do  his  duty 
to  his  people.    As  he  nobly  said: 

"The  English  who  came  first  to  this  country  were  but 
a  handful  of  people,  forlorn,  poor,  and  distressed.  My  father 
did  all  in  his  power  to  serve  them.    Their  numbers  increased. 

81 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

My  father's  councilors  were  alarmed.  They  urged  him  to 
destroy  the  Enghsh  before  they  became  strong  enough  to 
give  law  to  the  Indians  and  take  away  their  country.  My 
father  was  also  the  father  to  the  EngHsh.  We  remained 
their  friend.  Experience  shows  that  his  councilors  were 
right.  The  English  disarmed  my  people.  They  tried  them 
by  their  own  laws  and  assessed  damages  my  people  could 
not  pay.  Sometimes  the  cattle  of  the  English  would  come 
into  the  corn-fields  of  my  people,  for  they  did  not  make 
fences  like  the  English.  I  must  then  be  seized  and  confined 
till  I  sold  another  tract  of  my  country  for  damages  and 
costs.  Thus  tract  after  tract  is  gone.  But  a  small  part  of 
the  dominion  of  my  ancestors  remains.  I  am  determined 
not  to  live  until  I  have  no  country." 

"This,"  says  a  chronicler  of  the  times,  "is  the  sad  note 
of  preparation  sounded  by  a  royal  leader,  that  summons  to 
their  last  conflict  the  aboriginal  lords  of  New  England." 

"War  was  in  the  air  now — young  braves,  always  eager 
for  excitement  and  combat,  roamed  about  the  country 
sharpening  their  knives  and  tomahawks  on  the  door-sills 
of  the  colonists,"  and  boasted  in  loud  voices  of  the  deeds 
they  were  about  to  do  in  the  name  of  their  mighty  chief. 
At  the  same  time  a  Christian  Indian,  John  Sassasmon, 
employed  by  King  Philip  to  sign  his  documents  and  write 
his  letters,  having  learned  of  the  plan  for  confederation  and 
war,  betrayed  Philip  to  the  EngHsh,  and  for  the  act  was 
summarily  killed.  Three  noted  Indians,  all  members  of 
Philip's  council,  were  arrested  for  the  murder,  brought 
before  a  jury  of  eight  Englishmen  and  four  Indians,  convicted 
and  hung;  and  Philip's  rage  knew  no  bounds,  not  only 
because  of  Sassasmon's  treachery,  but  because,  as  he  as- 
serted, "The  English  had  nothing  to  do  with  one  Indian's 
killing  another.'* 

82 


KING    PHILIP 

He  was  also  much  afraid  that  he  himself  might  be  hung 
for  implication  in  the  murder,  which  had  most  certainly 
been  executed  at  his  order,  but,  although  old  records  show 
that  there  was  a  plot  to  kill  him,  it  was  not  carried  out,  and 
on  went  his  preparations  for  war. 

Bands  of  marauding  Indians  now  constantly  annoyed  the 
inhabitants  of  every  settlement  and  carried  terror  to  the 
most  courageous  settlers  on  solitary  farms  or  on  the  outskirts 
of  villages. 

On  a  lovely  Sabbath  in  late  June,  while  most  of  the  in- 
habitants of  the  little  settlement  of  Swansea,  Massachusetts, 
were  attending  service  in  their  small  meeting-house,  eight 
Indians  invaded  the  quiet  streets,  ransacked  several  houses, 
and  finally  demanded  a  colonist's  permission  to  grind  their 
hatchets  on  his  grindstone.  The  settler  answered  that,  being 
the  Lord's  Day,  they  could  not  do  such  work.  The  invaders 
replied,  **We  care  neither  for  your  God  nor  for  you,  but 
we  will  grind  our  hatchets!"  and,  entering  the  house  by  force, 
ransacked  it,  then  went  noisily  down  the  road  until  they 
met  another  settler,  whom  they  immediately  captured,  and 
made  him  walk  with  them  for  quite  a  distance,  taunting 
and  annoying  him  in  every  way  possible,  finally  setting  him 
free  with  the  parting  injunction  to  **be  a  good  man  and 
not  tell  any  lies  or  work  on  the  Lord's  day." 
;  Having  left  him,  they  roamed  on,  shooting  cattle  and 
plundering  supplies  at  will.  Finally  they  demanded  entrance 
at  a  cabin  where  the  man  of  the  house  became  so  provoked 
by  their  acts  that  he  seized  his  gun  and  shot  one  of  the 
young  Indians.  Breathing  vengeance  on  the  whole  white 
race,  his  comrades  lifted  him  up  and  carried  him  away  on 
their  shoulders,  and  the  first  blood  in  King  PhiHp's  War  had 
been  shed. 

The  people  gf  Swansea  then  appointed  the  next  Thursday 

83 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

for  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer.  On  that  day  the  village 
wore  the  stillness  of  a  Sabbath.  Wood  says:  **The  pious 
people  were  returning  with  thoughtful  faces  from  the  log 
church.  The  rough  streets,  filled  with  stumps,  wound  past 
the  cabins  with  their  little  clearings,  and  through  the  noon- 
day shadows  of  the  primeval  forest.  Suddenly  there  came 
two  sharp  reports,  two  pufFs  of  smoke,  and  two  near-by 
forms  lay  prostrate — one  of  them  dead.  The  English  were 
dumb  with  horror.  Two  men  who  were  despatched  for  a 
"chirurgeon"  were  shot  dead  in  the  road;  at  the  same 
time  red  flames  burst  through  the  roofs  of  a  dozen 
cabins. 

Two  settlers  who  had  gone  from  their  house  to  the  well 
for  water  were  shot  and  killed;  and  the  savages,  rushing 
from  their  hiding-place,  seized  the  bodies,  dragged  them  into 
the  forest,  and  scalped  them.  A  young  girl  hid  two  children 
left  in  her  care  under  a  large  brass  kettle,  then  fired  at  an 
Indian  who  was  forcing  entrance  into  the  cabin,  but,  failing 
to  kill  him,  beat  him  off  by  throwing  a  shovelful  of  live  coals 
in  his  face  so  that  he  was  found  in  the  woods  dead  from  his 
wounds. 

"  *  Kill — burn — destroy!'  were  the  commands  of  the  savage 
monarch  of  Mount  Hope,  who  was  the  presiding  genius  of 
the  conflict,  and  under  his  direction  his  followers  gleefully 
did  their  work  of  destruction.  Flushed  with  victory,  the 
Indians  skulked  everywhere,  and  none  could  venture  abroad 
without  danger  of  being  shot." 

Runners  were  immediately  sent  out  from  all  the  frontier 
towns  to  Plymouth  and  Boston,  begging  for  assistance,  and  in 
three  hours  after  a  messenger  arrived  in  Boston  one  hundred 
and  twenty  men  were  on  the  march  to  attack  Philip  at 
Mount  Hope.  But  the  great  chief  had  been  much  too  wary 
to  remain   in   a  place   almost  surrounded   by  water,  and, 

84 


KING    PHILIP 

having  first  sent  his  family  to  a  safe  retreat,  had  encamped 
with  his  warriors  in  the  great  Pocasset  Swamp. 

The  httle  army  from  Boston  then  marched  on  to  Swansea, 
where  they  estabhshed  their  headquarters  at  the  house  of 
a  Baptist  clergyman,  who  was  eager  to  protect  his  people 
from  the  Indians.  The  troops  immediately  went  on  a  recon- 
noitering  expedition,  and  crossed  a  bridge  near  the  Swansea 
garrison-house.  Shots  rang  out  from  an  ambush  by  the  road- 
side, and  one  soldier  was  killed  and  another  wounded.  The 
remainder  pursued  the  fleeing  Indians,  but  they  darted  to 
cover  in  the  swamp  and  disappeared. 

On  the  eastern  slope  of  Narragansett  Bay  there  was  a 
small  tribe  of  Indians  called  the  Soykonates,  whose  chief, 
a  woman  named  Awashonks,  was  highly  esteemed  by 
all  her  subjects,  and  could  command  three  hundred  war- 
riors in  time  of  war.  Awashonks  had  sold  part  of  her 
lands  to  the  colonists,  among  them  Captain  Church,  who 
had  settled  on  a  fertile  spot  on  the  shore  of  the  bay,  and 
with  whom  Awashonks  was  on  the  most  friendly  terms. 
Because  of  this,  and  also  because  her  force  would  be  very 
feeble  compared  with  the  troops  of  the  English  or  of  Phihp, 
she  had  remained  neutral  as  long  as  possible. 

But  now  Philip  sent  six  chiefs  to  ask  her  alliance  in  his 
interests.  Awashonks  meditated,  then,  calling  a  young 
brave,  she  sent  him  to  ask  Captain  Church's  presence  at  a 
council,  and  at  the  same  time  gathered  her  warriors  for  the 
conference.    Abbott  says: 

"The  forest  rang  with  their  shouts,  the  perspiration 
dripped  from  their  limbs,  and  they  were  already  wrought  to 
a  pitch  of  intense  excitement.'*  Awashonks  herself  led  the 
dance,  and  her  graceful  figure  appeared  to  great  advantage 
in  contrast  with  the  gigantic  muscular  development  of  her 
warriors.     The  wild  festivities  were  at  their  height  when 

85 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

Captain  Church  arrived  in  answer  to  Av^ashonks's  sum- 
mons. 

Immediately  the  dance  ceased.  Awashonks  sat  down, 
called  her  chiefs  and  the  Wampanoags  around  her,  and 
invited  Captain  Church  to  take  a  conspicuous  seat  in  the 
midst  of  the  group. 

Then  in  a  speech  of  queenly  courtesy  she  informed  the 
Englishman  that  Philip  had  sent  his  men  to  beg  her  to 
enter  into  a  confederacy  against  the  whites,  and  stated 
that  the  English,  having  raised  a  great  army,  were  about  to 
invade  the  territory  of  the  Wampanoags,  his  people,  and  ex- 
terminate them. 

She  then  called  on  PhiHp's  chiefs  to  approach,  and  they 
filed  forward  and  stood  before  the  assemblage,  a  striking 
group  of  warriors  in  their  barbaric  war-dress,  "their  faces 
painted,  their  hair  trimmed  in  the  fashion  of  the  crests 
of  the  ancient  helmets,  their  knives  and  tomahawks  sharp 
and  glittering,  and  their  guns,  horns,  and  pouches  abun- 
dantly supplied  with  shot  and  powder." 

Braves  and  captain  pleaded  their  cause  earnestly. 
Awashonks,  anxious  to  keep  on  good  terms  with  the  great 
leader  of  the  Wampanoags,  yet  with  a  strong  inclination  to 
side  with  the  English,  finally  told  Captain  Church  that 
Philip's  real  message  was  that  he  would  send  his  men  over 
privately  to  shoot  the  cattle  and  burn  the  houses  of  the 
settlers  who  were  within  his  territory,  and  so  make  the 
English  fall  in  vengeance  on  her,  whom  they  would  naturally 
suppose  to  be  the  cause  of  the  trouble. 

Enraged  at  this,  the  captain  angrily  advised  Awashonks 
to  knock  the  warriors  on  the  head  and  throw  herself  on  the 
protection  of  the  English;  but  the  Indian  queen  was  too 
discreet  for  any  move  like  that,  and  with  gracious  words 
and  smiles  dismissed  the  Indians  unharmed,  then  assured 

86 


KING     PHILIP 

Captain  Church  that  she  should  look  to  his  nation  for  friend- 
ship and  protection. 

Happy  at  this  result  of  the  council,  he  went  at  once  to 
the  headquarters  of  the  Pocasset  tribe,  of  which  Wetamoo, 
the  wife  of  Alexander,  former  chief  of  the  Wampanoags, 
was  a  princess.  Her  power  was  equal  to  that  of  Awashonks, 
and  she  could  lead  three  or  four  hundred  warriors  into  battle, 
so  Captain  Church  was  eager  to  enlist  her  sympathies  on 
his  side.  But  the  desire  to  avenge  her  husband's  death 
still  burned  fiercely  in  Wetamoo's  heart,  and  she  dismissed 
the  Englishman  in  a  few  imperious  words  and  at  once 
joined  Philip's  confederacy,  while  Awashonks,  too,  unmindful 
of  her  promise  to  Captain  Church,  soon  united  with  the 
great  chieftain's  army. 

The  war  was  indeed  begun — was,  in  fact,  now  raging  with 
all  the  horrors  of  pillage  and  bloodshed.  "The  Indians  in 
small  bands  went  prowling  over  the  country,  and  often 
attacked  a  solitary  cabin  in  the  wilderness  or  on  the  edge 
of  a  remote  settlement,  leaving  disaster  and  death  in  their 
wake;  or  dashed  into  the  larger  towns  in  terrific  midnight 
onset,  slaughtering  with  musket  and  tomahawk.  From  far 
and  near,  throughout  the  vast  tract  occupied  by  the  New 
England  colonies,  volumes  might  be  written  of  the  ghastly 
tragedies  enacted  in  those  early  days  of  the  Indian  war." 
Abbott  says:  "None  could  sleep  at  night  without  fear  of 
an  attack  from  the  Indians  before  the  morning.  In  the 
silence  of  the  wilderness  many  a  tragedy  was  enacted  of 
terror,  torture,  and  blood  which  would  cause  the  ear  that 
hears  of  it  to  tingle." 

On  the  next  day,  after  the  English  force  arrived  in  Swansea, 
the  defiant  yells  of  the  Indians  called  them  out  to  fight. 
The  great  Philip  himself  was  with  the  savages  when  a 
party  of  volunteers  rushed  furiously  out  in  pursuit  of  them, 

87 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

killed  a  number,  and  pursued  the  others  for  over  a  mile 
toward  Mount  Hope.  The  English  then  pushed  on  and 
up  the  hill  to  Mount  Hope.  Not  an  Indian  was  found  on 
the  Neck!  All  that  was  found  were  eight  poles  in  line 
bearing  the  heads  of  eight  Englishmen — ghastly  trophies  of 
a  savage  victory.  These  the  English  reverently  took  down 
and  buried. 

The  Indian  corn-fields  around  Mount  Hope  were  now  in 
luxuriant  growth,  for  Philip  had  over  a  thousand  acres 
planted.  These  fields  the  English  trampled  down,  and 
destroyed  all  the  buildings  on  the  Neck,  leaving  it  a  bleak 
and  barren  place — which  was  a  heavy  blow  to  Philip,  who 
depended  on  the  corn  to  protect  his  people  from  starvation 
in  the  coming  months;  and  to  revenge  this  injury  the 
Indians  scattered  in  every  direction,  carrying  terror,  con- 
flagration, and  misery  in  their  wake,  while  Captain  Church, 
with  his  troops,  was  marching  toward  the  territory  of 
Awashonks.  As  he  looked  at  the  hill  near  by  it  seemed  to 
move,  being  completel}^  covered  by  Indians,  with  their  bright 
guns  glittering  in  the  sun,  running  in  a  circle  with  an  evident 
intention  to  surround  the  troops. 

The  captain  and  his  men  retreated  slowly  toward  the 
shore  to  prevent  this,  but  it  was  in  vain.  With  hideous  cries 
the  Indians  closed  around  them,  and  the  situation  of  the 
English  seemed  desperate.  They  had  no  means  of  crossing 
the  water,  and  the  shrieking  foes  were  pressing  nearer  with 
fiendish  yells  and  a  storm  of  bullets.  The  ground  was  very 
stony,  and  with  a  quick  impulse  every  man  began  to  build 
a  breastwork  for  himself,  while  beating  back  the  savages  as 
fiercely  as  possible. 

For  six  hours  this  continued,  while  the  Indians,  in  ambush 
behind  every  stump,  rock,  or  tree  they  could  avail  them- 
selves of,  kept  up  an  incessant  firing.    The  colonists  were 

88 


KING     PHILIP 

almost  exhausted,  and  their  store  of  ammunition  was  very 
low,  when  a  sloop  was  seen  crossing  the  water. 

As  it  neared  shore  the  Indians  fired  at  it  so  effectively 
that  its  sails  and  sides  were  riddled  with  bullet-holes,  but 
with  great  caution  the  vessel  was  steered  toward  the 
beach,  and  one  by  one  the  Englishmen  embarked.  The  last 
to  leave  shore  was  Captain  Church,  who  went  boldly,  facing 
his  foes  and  presenting  his  gun,  while  a  bullet  passed  through 
his  hat,  cutting  off  a  lock  of  his  hair.  Two  other  bullets 
struck  the  canoe  as  he  entered  it,  and  a  fourth  buried  itself 
in  a  stake  which  stood  in  front  of  him.  So  surrounded,  he 
discharged  a  farewell  shot  at  the  enemy,  was  conveyed  safely 
on  board,  and  with  his  men  was  taken  to  the  English  garrison 
which  since  Philip's  retreat  to  the  swamp  had  been  estab- 
lished at  Mount  Hope. 

Every  move  in  Philip's  game  of  war  showed  his  masterly 
ability  to  conduct  a  campaign  according  to  the  rules  of 
successful  warfare,  and  to  capture  him  would  practically 
end  the  war,  the  colonists  knew.  Large  rewards  were  offered 
for  his  head,  and  he  was  obliged  to  look  to  it  that  in  some 
unconscious  moment  he  might  not  be  surprised  and  killed. 

On  the  1 8th  of  July  several  hundred  men  from  Taunton 
and  Plymouth  surrounded  the  swamp  where  the  Indians 
were  and  attempted  to  come  near  them.  Phihp,  on  watch, 
saw  this  attempt,  and  his  eyes  gleamed  with  cunning 
as  he  commanded  several  warriors  to  show  themselves  and 
so  lure  the  enemy  on.  Excited  by  the  sight  of  the  foe,  the 
colonists  pressed  forward.  Suddenly  from  the  dense  thicket 
other  Indians  poured  a  volley  of  shot  on  their  pursuers,  and 
fifteen  dropped  dead  on  the  spot,  while  many  others  were 
wounded.  Those  who  survived  fled  hastily  from  the  swamp, 
"finding  it  ill/'  says  Hubbard,  "fighting  a  wild  beast  in  his 
own  den,"  and  there  was  no  more  invading  of  the  swamp. 
7  89 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

That  having  failed,  the  EngUsh  still  surrounded  the  swamp 
and  so  cut  off  every  possible  way  of  escape  for  Philip's 
band,  knowing  that  if  this  could  be  kept  up  long  enough 
the  Indians'  provisions  would  give  out  and  they  would  be 
forced  to  surrender.  With  this  in  view,  the  soldiers  built 
a  fort  on  the  edge  of  the  swamp  and  kept  guard  there  for 
thirteen  days.  Meanwhile  Philip  was  constructing  canoes 
and  rafts,  and  one  dark  night  he  and  two  hundred  warriors 
floated  silently  across  the  river  and  with  Wetamoo  and  her 
warriors  fled  away  toward  the  unknown  wilderness  of  north- 
ern Massachusetts,  beyond  the  reach  of  the  discomfited 
English!  Exasperated  by  the  escape  of  their  enemy,  they 
accepted  the  help  of  the  Mohegans,  and  pursued  and  over- 
took the  fleeing  Indians  near  Providence,  shooting  thirty 
of  them  without  losing  a  single  man.  But  the  great  Philip 
himself  had  evaded  them  and  was  even  then  in  the  trackless 
forest  wilderness  of  central  Massachusetts,  where  he  could 
at  any  point  dash  out  to  attack  the  New  England  frontier. 

This  was  an  added  dread  to  the  colonists,  who,  knowing 
that  the  Nipmuck  Indians,  a  powerful  tribe  overspreading 
the  whole  interior  of  the  state,  were  tributary  to  the  Wampa- 
noags,  and,  fearing  that  they  might  join  King  Phihp's  forces, 
speedily  sent  messengers  to  treat  with  them,  and  a  conference 
with  them  was  arranged  to  be  held  near  Brookfield,  Massa- 
chusetts, on  the  second  day  of  August. 

Promptly  at  the  appointed  time  the  English  commissioners 
arrived  at  the  great  elm  under  which  the  conference  was  to 
take  place.    Not  an  Indian  was  on  hand! 

With  no  thought  of  treachery,  however,  the  Englishmen 
marched  on  some  miles  farther  to  a  spot  where  they  felt 
sure  the  Indians  would  be  found.  Single  file  through  a 
narrow  path  they  tramped,  with  mud  and  brush  under  foot, 
and  the  eternal  silence  of  the  forest  around  them;  and  as 

90 


KING    PHILIP 

they  marched,  three  hundred  Indians  rose  up  from  ambush 
on  either  side  of  the  pass  and  showered  a  rain  of  bullets 
on  them,  yeUing  Uke  fiends  and  brandishing  bloody  weap- 
ons. 

Eight  of  the  troop  dropped  dead,  and  many  others  were 
wounded;  then  the  savages  rushed  into  Brookfield,  a  Httle 
settlement  of  eighty  famihes,  and  with  terrified  cries  of 
*' Indians!  Indians!"  the  inhabitants  had  just  time  to  flee 
to  the  garrison-house  for  protection  when  the  savages  were 
on  them. 

Peering  from  windows  and  loopholes  of  their  place  of 
refuge,  the  settlers  watched  the  flare  of  torches,  saw  sudden 
flames  rise  from  their  cabins  and  reduce  them  in  a  few 
moments  to  smoldering  piles  of  ashes. 

Then  the  Indians  surrounded  the  garrison  and  tried  to 
burn  it,  too,  but,  being  unsuccessful,  kept  up  a  series  of 
attacks  for  two  days,  while  the  horrified  and  now  nearly 
exhausted  prisoners  noted  every  move  of  the  enemy  with 
agony,  for  their  stores  of  food  and  ammunition  were  low, 
and  how  could  they  be  replenished?  At  last  the  Indians 
*'  filled  a  cart  with  hemp,  flax,  and  the  boughs  of  firs  and  pines, 
and  fastened  to  the  tongue  a  succession  of  long  poles;  then, 
setting  the  whole  pile  on  fire,  as  it  rolled  up  volumes  of  flame 
and  smoke,  pushed  it  against  the  log  house,  whose  walls 
were  as  dry  as  dust."  With  bated  breath  and  clenched  hands 
the  colonists  sent  up  a  last  prayer  for  deliverance — and  lo, 
it  was  at  hand !  Major  Willard,  of  Boston,  with  forty  dra- 
goons, at  that  critical  moment  arrived  and  charged  on  the 
Indians,  scattering  them  to  right  and  left;  then  entered  the 
garrison.  His  men  rolled  the  burning  cart  away  from  the 
building,  a  providential  shower  came  up  and  helped  to 
extinguish  the  flames,  and  the  savages,  howling  with  rage 
at  having  been  balked  when  so  near  victory,  retired,  having 

91 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

lost  during  the  siege  about  eighty  warriors,  while  only  one 
white  man  had  been  killed. 

The  great  Philip  arrived  at  Brookfield  on  the  day  follow- 
ing, and,  hearing  of  the  defeat  of  his  forces,  commanded  a 
march  to  the  valley  of  the  Connecticut,  his  presence  infusing 
fresh  courage  in  the  ranks  of  his  warriors. 

"Passing  slowly  northward  along  the  banks  of  the  river, 
the  Indians  made  almost  simultaneous  attacks  on  the  little 
towns  of  Hatfield,  Deerfield,  Northfield,  and  Springfield, 
while  Northampton,  Worcester,  and  Hadley  became  battle- 
fields indeed,  and  in  all  of  the  conflicts  the  Indians  were 
decidedly  victors.  The  rush  on  Deerfield,  which  was  made 
on  the  1st  of  September,  laid  the  whole  town  in  ashes, 
though,  as  in  Firookfield,  the  inhabitants  had  time  to  take 
refuge  in  the  garrison-house,  and  only  one  settler  was  killed." 

Leaving  the  usual  desolation  and  misery  in  their  wake, 
the  savages  then  passed  on  up  the  river  to  Northfield, 
where  they  destroyed  much  property  and  shot  ten  inhabi- 
tants, the  remainder  being  safe  in  the  garrison.  This  was 
not  known  at  Hadley,  and  the  next  day  a  detachment  of 
infantry  under  Captain  Beers  was  sent  from  that  settlement 
with  a  convoy  of  provisions  to  reinforce  the  Northfield 
garrison. 

When  the  troops  had  nearly  reached  Northfield  several 
hundred  Indians  in  ambush  jumped  out  and  surrounded 
the  soldiers,  who,  though  they  fought  bravely,  were  all  but 
a  few  killed,  while  the  exulting  Indians,  under  the  command 
of  Philip  himself,  took  possession  of  all  their  luggage  and 
provisions,  and  amused  themselves  by  cutting  olF  the  heads 
of  their  victims,  which  they  fixed  on  the  tops  of  tall  poles 
as  trophies.  The  few  survivors  then  straggled  on  to  North- 
field  to  tell  their  sad  tale  to  the  disheartened  garrison,  now 
almost  destitute  of  powder  and  food.      But  help  was  at 

92 


KING    PHILIP 

hand,  for  Major  Treat  was  approaching  with  a  force  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  Mohegans  from  Connecticut,  and  soon 
arrived,  having  had  no  worse  experience  than  the  terrible 
sight  of  the  Hadley  victims  on  the  spot  where  the  Indian 
trophies  were  displayed. 

As  soon  as  he  reached  Northfield,  Major  Treat  decided 
that  the  Indians  were  too  numerous  in  that  region  for  him 
to  take  any  more  chances  against  them,  and  broke  up  the 
garrison  so  hastily  that  he  did  not  even  stop  to  destroy 
property,  as  was  customary,  marching  on  as  fast  as  possible. 

Meanwhile  in  the  Deerfield  garrison -house  there  were 
three  thousand  bushels  of  corn,  and  on  the  i8th  of  Sep- 
tember Captain  Lothrop,  with  one  hundred  men,  had  been 
despatched  to  bring  this  corn  to  Hadley.  The  wagons 
were  loaded,  the  trip  was  begun  in  safety,  and  not  an  Indian 
was  seen  as  the  party  journeyed  on.  "All  went  well," 
Wood  says,  "until  they  reached  the  banks  of  a  beautiful 
little  stream.  It  was  a  bright  autumn  day.  Grape-vines 
festooned  the  gigantic  forest  trees  .  .  .  and  purple  clusters 
hung  in  profusion  among  the  boughs.  Captain  Lothrop 
allowed  his  men  to  throw  their  guns  into  the  carts  and  to 
stroll  about  gathering  grapes." 

Hark!  a  crackling  in  the  underbrush — stealthy  footsteps. 
Yelling  exultantly,  Indians  rushed  out  from  every  side  of 
the  forest  and  poured  a  deadly  fire  of  bullets  on  the  soldiers, 
who  were  taken  so  by  surprise  that  they  could  only  imitate 
the  Indian  method  of  fighting,  each  one  from  behind  a  tree. 
But  they  were  overpowered  and  surrounded.  "Some  in 
their  terror  climbed  into  the  branches  of  trees,  hoping  to 
be  overlooked,  but  the  savages,  glancing  up,  taunted  them, 
brought  them  down  and  killed  them,  and  of  all  that  gallant 
force  only  eight  escaped  to  tell  of  the  tragedy;  and  since  that 
day  the  little  stream  running  through  the  south  end  of  Deer- 

93 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

field  meadow,  on  whose  banks  the  tragedy  occurred,  has  been 
known  as  Bloody  Brook,  from  the  color  of  its  waters,  said 
to  have  run  red  from  the  date  of  the  fearful  slaughter." 

Captain  Mosely  had  been  left  in  the  garrison-house  at 
Deerfield  with  seventy  men.  Being  only  five  miles  beyond 
Bloody  Brook,  he  heard  the  firing  and  instantly  went  out 
to  the  relief  of  the  troops,  but  he  was  too  late.  Finding  the 
scene  of  bloody  desolation,  he  fell  upon  the  Indians  and 
fought  fiercely  there  for  six  hours,  with  the  fortunate  rein- 
forcement of  Major  Treat  and  his  Mohegans.  Together  the 
two  captains  fought  so  vigorously  that  the  Indians  at  last 
fled,  leaving  ninety-six  of  their  number  dead,  to  the  great 
dismay  of  Philip,  whose  forces  were  now  dwindling. 

Mosely  and  Treat  encamped  in  an  open  space  for  the 
night,  and  attended  to  the  burial  of  the  dead,  placing  them 
in  two  pits — the  colonists  in  one  and  the  Indians  in  the  other. 
A  slab  was  placed  over  the  mound  covering  this,  and  a 
monument  marks  the  spot  where  the  battle  of  Bloody 
Brook  was  fought. 

A  brilliant  idea  now  dawned  on  the  minds  of  the  wearied 
and  disheartened  colonists.  If  union  is  strength,  they  would 
make  the  test  of  it  to  put  a  stop  to  this  war  of  Philip's. 
Commissioners  were  appointed  from  the  different  colonies 
to  form  a  confederation  and  act  in  concert,  with  not  less  than 
a  thousand  troops.  The  number  was  quickly  raised,  and 
the  whole  command  was  given  to  Colonel  Josiah  Winslow, 
of  Plymouth. 

While  the  colonists  were  thus  gathering  their  forces  to- 
gether, the  Narragansetts  annulled  their  treaty  with  them, 
and  their  chief,  Canonchet,  the  most  remarkable  Indian 
taking  part  in  the  war  except  Philip,  helped  him  to  erect 
a  strong  fortification  in  the  large  swamp  where  the  Indians 
were  intrenched.    The  fort  was  built  on  high  ground  near 

94 


KING    PHILIP 

the  middle  of  the  swamp,  surrounded  by  an  impenetrable 
hedge  and  imposing  paHsades  and  breastworks.  Here  were 
built,  too,  five  hundred  log  houses,  almost  bullet-proof. 
The  only  entrance  to  the  fortification  was  by  a  bridge  over 
deep  water,  the  bridge  made  of  the  trunk  of  a  large  tree  so 
narrow  that  persons  crossing  it  were  obliged  to  walk  single 
file.  As  this  bridge  was  also  flanked  by  a  blockhouse,  the 
whole  plan  was  an  admirable  example  of  Philip's  genius. 

Soon  three  thousand  warriors  under  the  united  command 
of  Philip  and  Canonchet  were  gathered  at  this  place,  where, 
on  the  19th  of  December,  they  were  surprised  by  the 
colonists,  who  had  been  guided  to  the  bridge  by  a  treacherous 
Indian. 

Down  the  narrow  bridge,  one  by  one,  rushed  the  English, 
but  were  instantly  shot  down  by  Philip's  warriors.  In  a 
few  moments  six  captains  and  a  large  number  of  men  were 
dead  or  dying  in  the  ditch,  while  a  few  who  had  succeeded 
in  crossing  the  tree  were  killed  by  the  bullets  of  the  savages 
hiding  behind  the  breastworks. 

At  last  Captain  Church,  who  was  in  command  of  the 
English,  seeing  a  point  at  the  rear  of  the  fort  where  the 
guard  was  not  strong,  forced  an  entrance.  In  a  moment  he 
was  supported  by  hundreds  more  of  his  men,  and  as  soon 
as  they  were  within  the  enclosure  the  mortal  combat  com- 
menced— the  combat  which  was  the  great  struggle  of  New 
England;  the  colonists  fighting  for  the  homes  they  had 
reared  in  blood  and  hardship  on  the  shores  of  the  new  land; 
the  three  thousand  Indians,  inspired  by  intense  patriot- 
ism, hatred  of  the  English,  and  a  burning  sense  of  injustice 
done  them,  fighting  for  equality  of  law  and  freedom. 

For  three  hours  the  conflict  raged,  with  tremendous  loss 
of  life  on  both  sides.  "At  last  the  Indians'  ammunition  ran 
low,  and  above  the  din  of  war  was  heard  Captain  Church's 

95 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

shout,  *Fire  the  wigwams!'  The  order  was  obeyed,  and  to 
the  tumult  of  battle  was  added  the  waiHng  of  women  and 
children  and  the  roar  of  flames.  Both  sides  fought  like  sav- 
ages, giving  no  quarter  and  asking  none.  Night  came  on, 
and  with  it  a  blinding  snow-storm,  and  the  Indians  retreated 
to  the  smoky  depths  of  the  swamp,  many  of  them  to  perish 
with  the  cold." 

The  English  were  left  in  possession  of  the  fort,  but  theirs 
was  a  dearly  bought  victory.  "Since  daybreak  they  had 
marched  sixteen  miles  and  fought  this  terrible  battle  without 
food  or  rest.  Even  now,  the  victory  won,  they  could  not 
stop  to  rest,  but  hastily  collected  their  dead  and  wounded, 
and,  placing  them  on  rough  litters,  wearily  tramped  away 
into  the  forest  on  the  return  march."  As  they  stumbled  on, 
often  plowing  their  way  through  deep  snow,  many  a  brave 
man  died  of  exhaustion,  and  all  realized  the  horror  of  a 
victory  which  had  been  won  at  such  a  price. 

The  Indians  who  escaped,  led  by  the  mighty  and  still 
undaunted  Philip,  now  went  into  retreat,  and  made  no  more 
attacks  on  persons  or  settlements  until  spring.  Then  Philip, 
realizing  the  greatness  of  his  undertaking,  called  together 
his  warriors,  and  with  hot  words  lashed  them  into  a  fresh 
fury  of  rebellion,  which  resulted  in  attacks  on  the  settlements 
of  Lancaster,  Medfield,  Groton,  and  Marlboro,  which  were 
all  left  in  ashes.  Weymouth,  near  Boston,  shared  the  same 
fate,  and  by  evidences  of  murder  and  conquest  on  every 
side  it  would  have  seemed  that  the  savage  party  was  to  be 
the  triumphant  one.  But  the  great  commander  Philip 
was  a  man  of  vision  who  knew  only  too  well  the  mental 
superiority  of  the  white  men  over  that  of  his  warriors — 
knew,  in  fact,  that  the  end  of  his  war  was  near. 

In  April  the  mighty  Canonchet,  a  brave  as  rare  in  brain 
as  he  was  in  bod}^,  was  captured.     The  Eiigliih  offered  to 

96 


KING    PHILIP 

spare  his  life  if  he  would  bring  about  a  treaty  of  peace,  but 
Canonchet  turned  a  glance  of  withering  scorn  on  them  and 
refused  to  listen  to  the  suggestion.  When  they  asked  him 
to  surrender  some  of  Philip's  men  who  were  with  him  for- 
merly, he  replied,  '*Not  a  Wampanoag  nor  the  paring  of  a 
Wampanoag's  nail  shall  be  delivered  up!"  When  told  that 
he  must  die,  he  made  this  memorable  remark,  **I  like  it 
well;  I  shall  die  before  my  heart  is  soft  or  1  have  said  any- 
thing unworthy  of  myself." 

*' Because  of  his  refusal  to  surrender  his  friends  to  certain 
death  or  to  slavery,  his  father  was  murdered,  his  warriors 
killed  by  the  hundred,  and  his  wife  and  children  burned  in 
their  homes;  yet  he  said  no  word  of  reproach,  simply  folded 
his  arms,  and,  with  head  erect  and  eye  that  never  quailed, 
received  the  fatal  bullets  in  his  heart.''  In  the  history  of 
his  race  there  is  no  more  heroic  soul  than  this  loyal  friend 
of  King  Philip,  and  his  death  was  a  cruel  blow  to  the 
Wampanoag  chief,  not  only  because  of  the  strong  personal 
bond  between  them,  but  because  he  was  an  ally  whose  place 
could  never  be  filled. 

The  Wampanoags  were  growing  discontented.  Since  their 
stores  of  corn  had  been  destroyed  by  the  English  the}^  had 
been  living  mainly  on  meat,  which  disagreed  with  many  of 
them.  Philip  had  promised  them  easy  victories,  they  said, 
and  much  plunder,  and  as  yet  there  had  been  only  hard- 
ships, suffering,  and  defeat.  They  were  sick  at  heart 
of  their  continued  failure  to  wipe  the  English  off  the 
earth. 

Captain  Church  made  offers  of  peace  to  all  who  had  wit 
enough  to  see  how  hopeless  the  cause  of  the  Indian  was;  and 
several  bands  broke  their  alliance  with  Philip's  party,  to 
take  up  arms  on  the  English  side,  among  them  Queen 
Awashonks  and  her  tribe,  who  fought  for  the  remainder  of 

97 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

the  war  under  the  command  of  the  captain  to  whom  she 
had  always  been  friendly. 

When  this  news  was  brought  to  Philip  he  made  no  sign 
of  regret,  not  a  fleeting  expression  of  chagrin  crossed  his 
inscrutable  face,  but  it  is  said  he  never  smiled  again.  He 
knew  now  that  his  doom  was  sealed,  even  though  Wetamoo 
and  her  remaining  warriors  were  still  loyal  to  him. 

Throughout  New  England  there  were  traitorous  Indians 
to  be  found  who  were  only  too  willing  to  sell  information 
in  regard  to  the  plans  of  their  chief,  and  one  of  these  now 
traveled  to  Taunton  and  offered  to  conduct  the  English  to 
the  river  where  Wetamoo  was  in  hiding. 

Arming  themselves,  twenty  men  followed  their  guide  to 
a  place  near  Swansea,  where  they  surprised  and  captured 
every  one  but  the  queen  herself.  "Too  proud  to  be  taken, 
when  capture  meant  slavery,  the  heroic  princess  threw  off 
her  clothing  and,  seizing  a  broken  piece  of  wood,  plunged  into 
the  stream;  but,  weakened  by  famine  and  exhaustion,  she 
sank,  and  soon  after  her  body  was  washed  ashore.  The 
English  immediately  cut  off  her  head  and  set  it  upon  a  pole 
in  a  street  in  Taunton — an  act  worthy  of  the  worst  barbarian 
of  the  woods;  and  when  Wetamoo's  subjects,  who  were 
taken  captive  to  Taunton,  saw  the  indignity  which  had  been 
offered  to  their  dead  sovereign  they  shrieked  with  horror 
and  grief." 

Philip's  situation  as  presiding  genius  of  the  war  was  now 
desperate.  From  place  to  place  he  fled,  only  to  be  followed 
by  Captain  Church  and  his  men,  who  attacked  him  from 
every  hiding-place  and  covert,  and  on  the  first  of  August 
met  the  mighty  monarch's  forces  and  killed  or  captured 
one  hundred  and  thirty  of  them.  Philip  himself  fled  so 
hastily  that  his  wampum-belt,  covered  with  beads  and  silver, 
the  badge  of  his  royal  office,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 

98 


KING    PHILIP 

English,  who  also  captured  his  wife  and  only  son,  young 
Pometacom,  sold  them  into  slavery,  and  shipped  them  both 
to  the  West  Indies. 

Deserted  by  most  of  his  warriors,  "with  the  Connecticut 
Indians  now  his  bitter  foes  and  the  Mohawks  on  the  Hudson 
thirsting  for  his  blood,  the  condition  of  the  heroic  and  un- 
fortunate monarch  of  the  Wampanoags  was  deplorable,  for 
he  was  now  a  fugitive  and  almost  alone  in  the  support  of 
the  cause  for  which  he  had  risked  so  much,  although  a  few 
of  the  more  noble  Indians  still  adhered  loyally  to  him. 
His  domain,  which  had  once  spread  over  wide  leagues  of 
forest  and  mountain,  w^as  now  contracted  to  the  dark  and 
dismal  swamp  where,  like  a  hunted  animal,  he  sought  refuge 
from  his  pursuers." 

But  still  the  indomitable  leader  would  not  think  of  yield- 
ing. He  determined  to  fight  until  he  should  fall  by  the  hand 
of  the  enemy,  and  when  a  warrior  urged  him  to  surrender, 
with  ineffable  scorn  PhiKp  gazed  at  him  in  silence  and 
condemned  him  to  death.  The  brother  of  this  Indian, 
enraged  at  the  chiefs  act,  at  once  went  to  the  English  and 
offered  to  guide  them  to  Philip's  retreat,  which  offer  was 
eagerly  accepted. 

Abbott  says:  "It  was  now  evening.  Philip  was  upon  a 
little  spot  of  upland  in  the  midst  of  a  miry  swamp  south 
of  Mount  Hope.  Half  of  the  night  was  spent  in  crossing 
the  water  in  canoes.  At  midnight  Captain  Church  called 
all  his  company  together  and  gave  minute  directions.  .  .  . 
They  surrounded  the  swamp.  With  the  earliest  light  of 
the  morning  they  were  ordered  to  creep  cautiously  on  their 
hands  and  knees  until  they  came  in  sight  of  their  foes.  As 
soon  as  any  one  discovered  Philip  or  any  of  his  men  he  was 
to  fire,  and  immediately  all  were  to  rise  and  join  the  pursuit. 
To  make  sure  of  his  victim.  Captain  Church  also  formed  a 

99 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

second  circle  around  the  swamp,  placing  an  Englishman  and 
an  Indian  behind  trees,  rocks,  and  stumps,  so  that  none 
could  pass  between  them.  He  also  stationed  small  parties 
in  ambuscade,  and  awaited  results." 

The  night  before  this  it  is  said  that  Philip  had  dreamed 
of  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  English,  and,  waking,  had 
told  the  dream  to  his  men,  advising  them  to  flee  before  it 
should  come  true.  When  they  urged  that  he,  too,  attempt 
to  escape,  he  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  shook  his  head. 
He  would  not  flee  now,  but  he  intended  to  keep  awake  at 
night  that  he  might  not  be  taken  b}^  surprise;  yet,  exhausted 
by  dav^  and  nights  of  the  hardest  kind  of  fighting  and  fleeing, 
despite  his  resolve,  he  slept  soundly,  with  a  few  faithful  war- 
riors dozing  by  his  side. 

"Silently,  stealthily,  while  he  slept,  the  English  crept 
cautiously  within  musket-shot  of  the  great  warrior,  and  his 
men  discharged  a  volley  of  bullets  on  them,  then  rushed  into 
the  encampment.  Philip,  roused  by  the  whistling  of  bullets 
and  the  shouts  of  the  enemy,  leaped  from  his  bed  of  leaves 
and  like  a  hunted  animal  jumped  from  hummock  to  hum- 
mock in  the  swamp,  but  in  his  flight  he  ran  directly  in  front 
of  an  Englishman  and  the  Indian  who  had  betrayed  him, 
standing  behind  a  large  tree  with  their  guns  cocked  and 
primed.  Bewildered,  and  fleeing  for  his  life,  Philip  came 
near  the  Englishman,  who  took  deliberate  aim  at  him  and 
sprung  his  lock.  The  heavy  dew  had  so  moistened  the 
powder  that  his  gun  missed  fire,  but  the  Indian  then  took 
aim  at  the  chief  to  whom  he  had  owed  allegiance  only  a 
short  time  before.  A  sharp  report  rang  through  the  still 
forest.  The  courageous  chieftain  swayed,  quivered,  then 
fell  in  the  mud  and  water  of  the  swamp.  The  great  Philip 
was  dead." 

Eagerly  the  Indian  traitor  rushed  with  the  news  to  Cap- 

lOO 


THE     DEATH     OF     KING     PHILIP 


KING    PHILIP 

tain  Church,  and  by  a  preconcel'ted  signal  Church  called 
his  men  together  and  told  them  the  good  tidings.  Philij) 
was  dead!  The  corpse  was  dragged  out  of  the  swamp,  as 
if  it  had  been  the  carcass  of  a  wild  beast,  to  where  the  ground 
was  dry,  and  Captain  Church  decreed,  "P'orasmuch  as  he 
has  caused  many  an  Enghshman's  body  to  lie  unburied  and 
to  rot  above  the  ground,  not  one  of  his  bones  shall  be  buried." 
An  old  Indian  executioner  was  then  ordered  to  cut  off  his 
head  and  quarter  his  body.  One  of  his  hands,  which  had 
been  disfigured  by  the  bursting  of  a  pistol,  was  given  to 
the  Indian  who  shot  him,  as  his  share  of  the  spoils,  and 
he  not  only  had  it  preserved,  but  went  around  the 
country  getting  "many  a  penny  by  exhibiting  it."  The 
head  was  cut  off  from  the  body  and  sent  to  Plymouth, 
where  it  was  set  up  on  a  gibbet  and  exposed  for  twenty 
years,  in  the  hideous  custom  of  those  barbaric  times. 

Such  "was  the  fate  of  PhiHp,  whose  mode  of  making  war," 
says  Baylies,  "was  secret  and  terrible.  He  seemed  like  a 
demon  of  destruction  hurling  his  bolt  in  darkness.  With 
noiseless  steps,  and  shrouded  by  the  deep  shade  of  midnight, 
he  glided  from  the  gloomy  depths  of  the  woods.  He  stole 
on  the  villages  and  settlements  of  New  England  like  the 
pestilence,  unseen  and  unheard.  His  dreadful  agency  was 
felt  when  the  yells  of  his  followers  roused  his  victims  from 
their  slumbers,  and  when  the  flames  of  their  blazing  habita- 
tions glared  upon  their  eyes.  His  pathway  could  be  traced 
by  the  horrible  desolation  of  its  progress,  by  its  crimson 
prints  upon  the  snows  and  the  sands,  by  smoke  and  fire, 
by  houses  in  ruins,  by  the  shrieks  of  women,  the  wailing 
of  infants,  and  the  groans  of  the  wounded  and  the  dying. 
Well  indeed  might  he  have  been  called  ^  the  Terror  of  New 
England,'  yet  in  no  instance  did  he  transcend  the  ordinary 
usages  of  Indian  warfare."     Though  he  has  been  painted 

lOI 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

in  black  colors  by  those  who  were  his  natural  enemies, 
in  reality  he  possessed  one  of  the  noblest  natures  ever  found 
among  his  savage  race,  and  throughout  the  war  there  were 
constant  and  conspicuous  examples  of  his  kindness  to  indi- 
viduals. 

The  death  of  Philip  was  such  a  practical  termination 
of  the  war  that,  on  the  6th  of  November  following,  a  treaty 
of  peace  was  made  with  the  English  on  terms  which, 
although  by  many  thought  humiliating,  were  certainly 
preferable  to  allowing  the  horrible  struggle  to  continue. 
So  ended  a  struggle  in  which  it  is  estimated  that  six  hundred 
men,  women,  and  children  were  killed,  twelve  hundred 
houses  burned,  and  eight  thousand  cattle  destroyed.  For 
a  savage  monarch  like  King  Philip  pitted  against  a  com- 
mander such  as  Captain  Church  there  can  be  no  final 
victory  in  warfare,  but  be  it  to  the  lasting  credit  of  such 
a  noble  Indian  as  the  king  of  New  England  tribes  that 
he  fought  with  a  high  ideal  and  a  lofty  purpose. 

"He  had  fought  a  relentless  war,  but  he  fought  for  his 
native  land,  and  in  the  tragic  manner  of  his  race — fought  a 
losing  game,  even  though  he  was,  perhaps,  the  most  illus- 
trious  savage  on  the  North  American  continent." 

Indomitable  King  of  New  England  tribes,  justly  do  his 
descendants  boast  their  ancestry  and  do  him  honor! 


JOSEPH 


\ 


JOSEPH:  PATRIOT  OF  THE  NEZ  PERCfiS 

OLD  JOSEPH,"  hereditary  chief  of  the  lower  Nez 
Perces,  had  many  times  said  his  say  against  the 
encroachments  of  the  white  man  in  Oregon,  Finally,  the 
Great  Father  at  Washington  sent  word  that  the  lower 
Nez  Perces  must  go  on  the  Lapwai  reservation,  there  to  be 
protected  and  helped  by  the  government.  Old  Joseph  said : 
"I  will  not.  I  do  not  need  your  help;  we  have  plenty,  and 
we  are  contented  and  happy  if  the  white  man  will  let  us 
alone.  The  reservation  is  too  small  for  so  many  people 
with  all  their  stock.  .  .  .  Our  fathers  were  born  here. 
Here  they  lived.  Here  they  died.  Here  are  their  graves. 
We  will  never  leave  them." 

So  firm  in  his  refusal  to  leave  the  beautiful  Wallowa 
Valley,  which  was  his  by  inheritance,  was  the  old  chief,  that, 
seeing  the  strength  of  his  opposition,  the  government  ceased 
pressing  its  claims  for  a  time,  and  the  Nez  Perces  enjoyed 
peace  and  freedom  for  a  brief  season. 

But  old  Joseph  was  becoming  daily  more  infirm,  and  one 
day  sent  for  his  son,  Joseph,  that  he  might  speak  to  him  of 
those  things  which  were  in  his  heart. 

"My  son,"  the  old  chief  said,  *'my  body  is  returning  to 
my  mother  earth,  and  my  spirit  is  going  very  soon  to  see 
the  Great  Spirit  Chief.  When  I  am  gone,  think  of  your 
country.  You  are  the  chief  of  these  people.  They  look  to 
you  to  guide  them.  Always  remember  that  your  father 
never  sold  his  country.  You  must  stop  your  ears  whenever 
8  105 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

you  are  asked  to  sign  a  treaty  selling  your  home.  A  few 
years  more  and  the  white  men  will  be  all  around  you. 
They  have  their  eyes  on  this  land.  My  son,  never  forget 
my  dying  words.  This  country  holds  your  father's  body. 
Never  sell  the  bones  of  your  father  and  your  mother." 

Young  Joseph,  telHng  of  this  later,  said:  "My  father 
smiled  and  passed  away  to  the  spirit  land.  I  buried  him  in 
that  beautiful  valley  of  'Winding  Waters.'  I  love  that 
land  more  than  all  the  rest  of  the  world.  A  man  who  would 
not  love  his  father's  grave  is  worse  than  a  wild  animal." 

With  the  blood  of  sucji  a  patriot  hot  in  his  veins,  and  with 
his  vow  to  his  father  ringing  in  his  ears,  it  is  small  wonder 
that  young  Joseph,  now  chief  in  his  father's  place,  resisted 
the  white  man's  encroachments  with  bitter  determination 
from  that  hour;  nor  is  it  to  be  wondered  at  that  the  noble 
young  warrior,  with  his  superb  physique  and  fine  mental 
endowment — an  endowment  which,  with  military  training, 
would  have  made  him  the  equal  of  our  noblest  generals — 
should  have  been  able  to  plan  and  conduct  one  of  the  most 
masterly  retreats  in  the  history  of  Indian  warfare. 

IFor  a  short  time  after  old  Joseph's  death  his  band  lived 
in  peace  and  freedom,  but  the  settlers,  who  were  pouring 
into  the  country  around  the  "valley  of  Winding  Waters," 
stole  the  Indians'  horses,  branded  and  drove  their  cattle  off, 
and  took  their  land.  Joseph  said,  pathetically,  "We  had 
no  friend  who  would  plead  our  cause  before  the  law  councils. 
It  seemed  that  some  of  the  white  men  who  were  in  Wallowa 
were  doing  these  things  on  purpose  to  get  up  a  war.  We 
knew  we  were  not  strong  enough  to  fight  them.  I  labored 
hard  to  avoid  trouble  and  bloodshed.  We  gave  up  some  of 
our  country  to  the  white  men,  thinking  that  then  we  could 
have  peace.  We  were  mistaken.  The  white  men  would 
not  let  us  alone.    We  could  have  avenged  our  wrongs  many 

io6 


JOSEPH 

times,  but  we  did  not.  When  the  white  men  were  few  and 
we  were  strong  we  could  have  killed  them  all  off,  but  the 
Nez  Perces  wished  to  live  in  peace. 

"If  we  have  not  done  so,  we  have  not  been  to  blame. 
If  we  ever  owned  the  land,  we  own  it  still,  for  we  never  sold 
it.  In  the  treaty  councils  the  commissioners  have  claimed 
that  our  country  had  been  sold  to  the  government.  Suppose 
a  white  man  should  come  to  me  and  say,  'Joseph,  I  like 
your  horses  and  I  want  to  buy  them.'  I  say  to  him:  *No, 
my  horses  suit  me.  I  will  not  sell  them.'  Then  he  goes  to 
my  neighbor  and  says  to  him,  'Joseph  has  some  good 
horses.  I  want  to  buy  them,  but  he  refuses  to  sell.'  My 
neighbor  answers,  'Pay  me  the  money,  and  I  will  sell  you 
Joseph's  horses.'  The  white  man  returns  to  me  and  says, 
'Joseph,  I  have  bought  your  horses,  and  you  must  let  me 
have  them.'  If  we  sold  our  lands  to  the  government,  this 
is  the  way  they  were  bought."  Surely  no  world-famed 
lawyer  could  offer  a  more  incisive  answer  to  an  argument 
than  this! 

He  also  said:  "My  name  is  In-mut-too-yah-lat-lat 
(Thunder-traveling-over-the-mountains).  I  am  chief  of  the 
Wal-lam-wat-kin,  band  of  Chute-pa-lu,  or  Nez  Perces.  I 
was  born  in  eastern  Oregon.  .  .  .  Our  fathers  gave  us 
many  good  laws,  which  they  had  learned  from  their  fathers. 
They  told  us  to  treat  all  men  as  they  treat  us;  that  we  should 
never  be  the  first  to  break  a  bargain;  that  it  was  a  disgrace 
to  tell  a  lie;  that  it  was  a  shame  for  one  man  to  take  from 
another  his  life  or  his  property  without  paying  for  it.  We 
were  taught  to  believe  that  the  Great  Spirit  sees  and  hears 
everything,  and  that  he  never  forgets;  that  hereafter  he 
will  give  every  man  a  spirit  home  according  to  his  deserts; 
.  .  .  this  I  believe,  and  all  my  people  beUeve  the  same. 

"^We  did  not  know  there  were  other  people  besides  the 

107 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

Indian  until  about  one  hundred  years  ago,  when  some  men 
with  white  faces  came  to  the  country.-  They  brought  many 
things  with  them  to  trade  for  furs  and  skins.  They  brought 
tobacco,  which  was  new  to  us.  They  brought  guns  with 
flint  stones  on  them,  which  frightened  women  and  children. 
Our  people  could  not  talk  with  these  white-faced  men,  but 
they  used  signs  which  all  people  understand.  These  men 
were  Frenchmen,  and  they  called  our  people  *Nez  Perces,' 
because  they  wore  rings  in  their  noses  for  ornaments.  These 
French  trappers  said  a  great  many  things  to  our  fathers 
which  have  been  planted  in  our  hearts.  Our  people  were 
divided  in  opinion  about  these  men.  Some  thought  they 
taught  more  bad  than  good.  An  Indian  respects  a  brave 
man,  but  he  despises  a  coward.  He  loves  a  straight  tongue, 
but  he  hates  a  forked  tongue.  The  trappers  told  us  some 
truths,  but  some  lies.'^ 

At  the  time  when  young  Joseph  became  chief  in  his  father's 
stead,  the  lower  Nez  Perces  lived  along  the  Snake  River, 
and  also  occupied  the  Grande  Ronde  and  Imnaha  country, 
as  well  as  the  lovely  "valley  of  Winding  Waters";  their 
great  trails  extending  for  hundreds  of  miles  along  the  river 
toward  the  Blue  Ridge,  with  the  Salmon  River  and  its 
tributaries  furnishing  an  immense  territory  over  which  they 
could  hunt  and  roam.  The  main  body  of  the  tribe,  or  upper 
Nez  Perces,  occupied  the  Lapwai.  These  tribal  boundaries 
had  been  fixed  in  the  treaty  made  by  Governor  Stevens  in 
1855,  and  were  so  liberal  that  even  old  Joseph  had  accepted 
them  without  murmur.  But  when  the  government  decided 
to  crowd  out  the  Indian  at  the  expense  of  the  white  man, 
and  in  the  new  treaty  of  1863,  which  old  Joseph  firmly  re- 
sisted, excluded  the  Nez  Perces  from  the  Wallowa  Valley, 
this  made  a  permanent  division  in  the  tribe,  for,  though 
some  of  the  Indians  agreed  to  remain  within  the  prescribed 

108 


JOSEPH 

boundaries,  calling  themselves  "treaty  Indians,"  others  per- 
sistently and  absolutely  refused  to  do  so,  and  were  called 
the  "non-treaties." 

Joseph's  followers  were  foremost  among  the  non-treaty 
bands,  which  also  included  a  band  that  roamed  over  the 
wild  country  between  the  Snake  and  Salmon  rivers,  whose 
chief  was  Too-hul-hul-sute,  a  cross-grained  old  "Dreamer," 
or  "  Too-at."  Still  another  band  was  found  above  the  mouth 
of  the  Grande  Ronde;  while  White  Bird,  another  non-treaty 
chief  who  often  disputed  with  Joseph  the  command  of  the 
united  forces  of  the  malcontents,  with  his  followers,  roamed 
over  the  mountainous  country  along  the  Salmon  River, 
having  no  permanent  abode.  The  remaining  non-treaties, 
under  Hush-hush-cute,  a  young  chief  whose  heart  was 
"bad"  toward  the  white  man,  was  to  the  westward,  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  reservation. 

Altogether  there  were  about  seven  hundred  men,  women, 
and  children  among  the  non-treaties,  and  of  that  number 
three  hundred  and  twenty-five  were  warriors,  who  were 
disturbed  and  restless  because  of  the  increasing  number  of 
settlers  occupying  the  Wallowa  Valley. 

Joseph  himself  was  not  inclined  either  to  trouble  the 
settlers  or  to  go  to  war,  because  of  treaty  regulations.  He 
simply  agreed  with  the  growhng  old  Dreamer,  who  said: 
"No!  No!  No!  We  will  go  where  we  please.  Who  gave 
Washington  rule  over  us?"  and  only  asked  for  freedom  to 
remain  unmolested  in  his  beloved  valley. 

It  is  evident  that  General  Howard  was  at  least  in  partial 
sympathy  with  this  desire  of  Joseph's,  for  when  in  1875, 
despite  the  Indian's  opposition,  the  Wallowa  Valley  was 
formally  opened  to  white  settlers,  the  general  said,  "I  think 
it  is  a  great  mistake  to  take  from  Joseph  and  his  band  of 
really  peaceable  Indians  that  valley,  .  .  .  and  possibly  Con- 

109 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

gress  can  be  induced  to  let  them  have  it  for  their  own.  .  .  ." 
Had  this  only  been  the  general  sentiment,  how  great  an 
amount  of  property  and  loss  of  life  might  have  been  saved ! 

But  the  general  was  a  servant  of  the  government,  being 
then  in  command  of  the  military  posts  and  Indian  agencies 
in  that  part  of  the  Northwest,  and  he  was  obliged  to  attempt 
to  bring  the  non-treaties  to  an  agreement  with  government 
desires. 

t  So  he  called  a  council  of  the  Nez  Perces  at  Fort  Lapwai, 
the  most  lovely  valley  in  Idaho,  and  asked  that  every  Indian 
present  should  express  his  opinions  freely  in  regard  to  ac- 
cepting the  terms  of  the  treaty  which  required  the  Nez 
Perces  to  live  in  the  Lapwai. 

The  council  was  called  for  the  third  day  of  May,  1877, 
but  when  Joseph  and  his  band  arrived,  Joseph  begged  that 
the  conference  might  be  postponed,  as  White  Bird's  band 
were  coming  from  Salmon  River  country,  and  he  wished  to 
have  them  at  the  council.  Consequently,  General  Howard 
deferred  the  interview  until  the  next  day^when  White  Bird 
with  his  band  had  marched  into  the  valley  with  the  Ashotins 
and  Too-hul-hul-sute's  followers. 

The  Indians  then  gathered  and  formed  in  long  lines,  their 
faces  painted  red,  and  a  red  line  extending  down  the  part- 
ing in  the  middle  of  the  head.  The  men's  hair  was  braided 
and  tied  with  showy  strings,  and  they  wore  gay  blankets 
or  mantles,  feathered  head-dresses,  leggings  of  buckskin,  and 
beaded  moccasins,  while  the  women  were  also  gaily  attired, 
and  all  were  mounted  on  ponies  as  varied  in  color  as  the 
costumes  of  their  riders. 

Before  the  council,  they  rode  around  the  garrison,  wailing 
a  weird  war-song,  then  in  single  file  they  approached  General 
Howard  and  solemnly  shook  hands.  Joseph,  with  his  glossy 
hair  very  smoothly  braided  and  his  face   slightly  rouged, 

no 


JOSEPH 

sat  on  a  low  bench,  with  OHicut,  his  brother,  on  the  ground 
beside  him,  and  the  other  Indians  squatted  on  the  grass  in 
a  semicircle  around  Too-hul-hul-sute,  the  old  Dreamer,  who 
announced  in  a  clear  voice:  "The  earth  was  created  by 
God  complete,  and  should  not  be  disturbed  by  man.  Any 
cultivation  of  the  soil  or  any  improvements  in  the  way  of 
schools  or  churches  are  crimes  which  must  be  resisted,  and 
therefore  white  settlers  must  be  kept  away  from  the  Indian's 
country." 

To  General  Howard's  explanation  that  the  non-treaty 
Indians  were  in  the  minority  in  their  opposition  to  the  laws 
and  customs  of  the  white  man  and  must  abide  by  the  agree- 
ment made  by  other  tribes,  the  old  man  replied  in  such  a 
surly  manner  that  the  general  feared  his  influence  would 
arouse  excitement  and  opposition  among  the  listening 
Indians,  and  hastily  suggested  a  second  adjournment  of  the 
meeting. 

By  the  following  Monday,  he  said,  the  Indians  would  have 
had  ample  time  to  confer  together  concerning  the  treat}^. 
The  idea  met  with  hearty  approval,  and  Indians  and  whites 
ended  their  second  interview  with  smiling  faces  and  cordial 
hand-shaking. 

^onday,  the  day  for  the  third  conference,  dawned  clear 
and  bright;  and  the  Indians  made  an  even  more  striking  dis- 
play than  before,  as  their  numbers  had  been  swelled  by  more 
incoming  bands,  and  all  were  showily  attired  and  painted 
for  the  ceremonial  occasion. 

Too-hul-hul-sute  was  the  speaker  of  the  day.  Rising,  he 
faced  General  Howard,  saying:  "The  Great  Spirit  Chief 
made  the  world  as  it  is  and  as  he  wanted  it,  and  he  made 
a  part  of  it  for  us  to  live  upon.  I  do  not  see  where  you  get 
authority  to  say  that  we  shall  not  Hve  where  he  placed  us." 

General  Howard  lost  his  temper,  and  said:  "Shut  up!    I 

III 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

don't  want  to  hear  any  more  of  such  talk.  The  law  says 
you  shall  go  upon  the  reservation  to  live,  and  I  want  you 
to  do  so,  but  you  persist  in  disobeying  the  law  [meaning 
the  treaty].  If  you  do  not  move,  I  will  take  the  matter 
into  my  own  hand,  and  make  you  suffer  for  your  disobedi- 
ence. 

Too-hul-hul-sute  answered:  "Who  are  you,  that  you  ask 
us  to  talk,  and  then  tell  me  I  sha'n't  talk?  Are  you  the 
Great  Spirit?  Did  you  make  the  world?  Did  you  make  the 
sun?  Did  you  make  the  rivers  to  run  for  us  to  drink?  Did 
you  make  the  grass  to  grow?  Did  you  make  all  these  things, 
that  you  talk  to  us  as  though  we  were  boys?  If  you  did, 
then  you  have  the  right  to  talk  as  you  do." 

General  Howard  replied,  '*You  are  an  impudent  fellow, 
and  I  will  put  you  in  the  guard-house,"  and  ordered  a  soldier 
to  arrest  him. 

Too-hul-hul-sute  made  no  resistance.  He  asked  General 
Howard:  **Is  that  your  order?  I  don't  care.  I  have 
expressed  my  heart  to  you.  I  have  nothing  to  take  back. 
I  have  spoken  for  my  country.  You  can  arrest  me,  but  you 
cannot  change  me  or  make  me  take  back  what  I  have  said." 

The  soldiers  came  forward  and  seized  him,  and  took  him 
to  the  guard-house.  Joseph's  men  whispered  among  them- 
selves whether  they  should  let  this  thing  be  done;  but 
Joseph  advised  them  to  submit,  as  he  knew  that  if  the 
Indians  resisted,  all  the  white  men  present,  including  Gen- 
eral Howard,  would  be  killed  in  a  moment,  and  the  Indians 
would  be  blamed. 

Then,  seeing  the  danger  in  which  his  people  were  placed, 
while  the  old  Dreamer  was  being  dragged  away  to  the 
guard-house,  Joseph  himself  rose,  with  noble  determination 
written  on  every  feature  of  his  fine  face. 

*'/  am  going  to  talk  now!"  he  exclaimed.    "I  don't  care 

112 


JOSEPH 

whether  you  arrest  me  or  not!"  Then,  turning  to  his  fol- 
lowers, he  continued:  "The  arrest  of  Too-hul-hul-sute  was 
wrong,  but  we  will  not  resent  the  insult.  We  were  invited 
to  this  council  to  express  our  hearts,  and  we  have  done  so3' 

To  such  a  height  of  magnanimity  even  a  savage  could 
not  help  responding,  and  there  were  no  hostile  words  or 
acts  as  the  council  broke  up,  or  later,  while  Joseph  threaded 
his  way  among  the  throng  of  Indians,  speaking  words  of 
courage  and  of  peace. 

QThe  next  day  General  Howard  invited  Joseph,  with  White 
Bird  and  Looking-glass,  to  go  with  him  in  search  of  land 
for  the  Nez  Perces,  should  they  consent  to  move  to  the 
reservation,  and  Joseph's  narrative  says: 

**As  we  rode  along  we  came  to  some  good  land  that  was 
already  occupied  by  Indians  and  white  people.  General 
Howard,  pointing  to  this  land,  said:  *If  you  will  come  onto 
the  reservation,  I  will  give  you  these  lands  and  move  these 
people  off.' 

**I  replied,  *No.  It  would  be  wrong  to  disturb  these 
people.  I  have  no  right  to  take  their  homes.  I  have  never 
taken  what  did  not  belong  to  me.    I  will  not  now.' 

"We  rode  all  day  upon  the  reservation,  and  found  no 
good  land  unoccupied.  I  have  been  informed  by  men  who 
do  not  lie  that  General  Howard  sent  a  letter  that  night, 
telling  the  soldiers  at  Walla  Walla  to  go  to  Wallowa  Valley 
and  drive  us  out  upon  our  return  home. 

"In  council,  next  day.  General  Howard  informed  me  in 
a  haughty  spirit  that  he  would  give  my  people  thirty  days 
to  go  back  home,  collect  all  their  stock,  and  move  onto  the 
reservation,  saying,  *If  you  are  not  here  in  that  time,  I 
shall  consider  that  you  want  to  fight,  and  will  send  my 
soldiers  to  drive  you  on.' 

"I  said:  *War  can  be  avoided,  and  it  ought  to  be  avoided. 

113 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

I  want  no  war.  My  people  have  always  been  the  friends 
of  the  white  man.  Why  are  you  in  such  a  hurry  ?  I  cannot 
get  ready  to  move  in  thirty  days.  Our  stock  is  scattered, 
and  Snake  River  is  very  high.  Let  us  wait  until  fall,  then 
the  river  will  be  low.  We  want  time  to  hunt  up  our  stock 
and  gather  supplies  for  winter.' 

"General  Howard  replied,  *If  you  let  the  time  run  over 
one  day,  the  soldiers  will  be  there  to  drive  you  onto  the 
reservation,  and  all  your  cattle  and  horses  outside  of  the 
reservation  at  that  time  will  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
white  men.' 

"I  knew  I  had  never  sold  my  country,  and  that  I  had  no 
land  in  Lapwai;  but  I  did  not  want  bloodshed.  I  did  not 
want  my  people  killed.  I  did  not  want  anybody  killed. 
Some  of  my  people  had  been  murdered  by  white  men,  and 
the  white  murderers  were  never  punished  for  it.  I  told 
General  Howard  about  this,  and  again  said  I  wanted  no 
war.  I  wanted  the  people  who  lived  upon  the  lands  I  was 
to  occupy  at  Lapwai  to  have  time  to  gather  their  harvest. 

"I  said  in  my  heart  that,  rather  than  have  war,  I  would 
give  up  my  country.  I  would  give  up  my  father's  grave. 
I  would  give  up  everything  rather  than  have  the  blood  of 
white  men  upon  the  hands  of  my  people. 

"  General  Howard  refused  to  allow  me  more  than  thirty 
days  to  move  my  people  and  their  stock.  I  am  sure  that 
he  began  to  prepare  for  war  at  once." 

On  Joseph's  return  to  Wallowa  he  found  great  excite- 
ment prevailing  among  his  people.  Soldiers  were  already 
in  the  Wallowa  Valley! 

A  council  was  held  at  once,  for  the  position  of  the  govern- 
ment was  now  plain.  Under  the  powerful  influence  of  Joseph 
the  Nez  Perces  decided  to  submit  quietly  at  once  to  the 
government's  demand,  unjust  though  they  felt  it  to  be, 

114 


JOSEPH 

in  order  to  prevent  bloodshed,  but  Too-hul-hul-sute,  who 
had  been  released  after  five  days'  imprisonment  in  the 
guard-house,  felt  so  outraged  at  having  been  arrested,  simply 
because  he  had  expressed  his  mind — when  that  was  what  the 
Indians  had  been  asked  to  do — that  he  talked  fiercely  for 
war  until  he  aroused  several  of  the  young  braves  to  as 
frenzied  a  state  as  his  own. 

Seeing  the  advantage  he  had  gained,  Too-hul-hul-sute 
then  declared  that  only  bloodshed  could  wash  out  the  dis- 
grace General  Howard  had  put  upon  hirrij  This  inflamed 
the  young  men  greatly,  although  Joseph  still  begged  for 
peace,  and  it  is  even  said  that  he  rode  among  his  people 
with  a  pistol  in  each  hand,  declaring  he  would  shoot  the 
warrior  who  dared  defy  the  soldiers  when  they  came. 

jAt  once  the  non-treaties  began  gathering  together  all 
the  stock  they  could  find  in  such  a  hurry,  but  were  obliged 
to  leave  many  of  their  horses  and  cattle  in  Wallowa — also, 
as  the  river  was  so  high,  other  stock  was  lost  in  crossing — but 
the  Indians  themselves  reached  the  other  side  in  safety,  and 
then  held  a  ten  days'  council  in  the  wonderfully  picturesque 
natural  fortress  of  the  Rocky  Caiion. 

One  young  brave,  whose  father  had  been  killed  by  a 
white  man  five  years  before,  called  on  the  council  to  back 
him  up  in  avenging  the  deed,  and  there  were  others  hot 
for  war;  but  Joseph  stood  steadfastly  for  peace,  and,  feeling 
sure  that  his  advice  would  be  followed,  he  went  out  from  the 
council  to  kill  beef  for  his  family. 

There  was  bad  news  when  he  returned.  The  hot-blooded 
young  brave,  regardless  of  Joseph's  advice,  had  avenged 
his  father's  death.  Riding  out  from  the  council  with  other 
comrades,  he  had  killed  four  white  men,  then,  galloping 
up  the  canon,  he  shouted :  "Why  do  you  sit  here  Hke  women  ? 
The  war  has  begun  already!"] 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

Shocked  and  troubled,  Joseph  went  from  tepee  to  tepee, 
questioning  every  warrior,  only  to  discover  that  the  young 
men  had  been  secretly  buying  ammunition;  that  Too-hul- 
hul-sute  had  been  successful  in  organizing  a  war-party;  that 
further  talk  of  peace  would  be  useless;  and  his  heart  was 
heavy  at  the  thought,  for,  as  he  said:  ^.'1  knew  that  we  were 
too  weak  to  fight  the  United  States.  We  had  many  griev- 
ances, but  I  knew  that  war  would  bring  more."  He  added, 
pathetically: 

"I  know  that  my  young  men  did  a  great  wrong,  but  I 
ask.  Who  was  first  to  blame?  They  had  been  insulted  a 
thousand  times;  their  fathers  and  brothers  had  been  killed; 
their  mothers  and  wives  had  been  disgraced;  they  had  been 
driven  to  madness  by  whiskey  sold  to  them  by  white  men; 
they  had  been  told  by  General  Howard  that  all  their  horses 
and  cattle  which  they  had  been  unable  to  drive  out  of 
Wallowa  were  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  white  men;  and, 
added  to  all  this,  they  were  homeless  and  desperate. 

"  I  would  have  given  my  own  life  if  I  could  have  undone 
the  killing  of  white  men  by  my  people.  I  blame  my  young 
men,  and  I  blame  the  white  men.  I  blame  General  Howard 
for  not  giving  my  people  time  to  get  their  stock  away  from 
Wallowa.  I  do  not  acknowledge  that  he  had  the  right  to 
order  me  to  leave  Wallowa  at  any  time.  I  deny  that  either 
my  father  or  myself  ever  sold  that  land.  It  is  still  our  land. 
It  may  never  again  be  our  home,  but  my  father  sleeps  there, 
and  I  love  it  as  I  love  my  mother.  I  left  there,  hoping  to 
avoid  bloodshed. 

"If  General  Howard  had  given  me  plenty  of  time  to 
gather  up  my  stock,  and  treated  Too-hul-hul-sute  as  a  man 
should  be  treated,  there  would  have  been  no  war^ 

But  the  matter  having  been  carried  beyond  his  decision, 
Joseph  was   far  too  much  of  a  soldier  not  to  assume  im- 

Ii6 


JOSEPH 

mediate  command  of  his  forces,  and  at  once  moved  them 
to  White  Bird  Canon,  where  he  awaited  the  coming  of  the 
soldiers. 

After  two  days  Colonel  Perry,  with  one  hundred  soldiers, 
began  at  daybreak  to  descend  the  broad  trail  to  the  caiion, 
hoping  to  surprise  the  Indians.  But  Joseph  never  slept 
when  at  war,  and  his  keen  eyes  discovered  the  horsemen  at 
sunrise  as  soon  as  they  came  in  sight,  and  his  shouts  rang 
out :  "  Get  the  white  man's  glass !  Tell  White  Bird.  Horses ! 
The  soldiers  are  herelj 

Some  of  the  warriors  begged  to  move  across  the  Salmon 
River  to  a  position  of  safety.  "No!"  thundered  Joseph. 
"We  will  fight  them  here!"  Then  a  body  of  mounted 
warriors  under  White  Bird  took  up  their  position  in  ambush 
behind  a  ridge  on  the  south  side  of  the  canon,  while  the 
others,  with  Joseph,  crouched  on  the  ground,  across  the 
trail,  well  hidden  behind  rocks  and  in  hollows. 

On  came  the  soldiers,  until  they  were  within  range  of 
the  Indians'  shots.  Then  from  their  ambush  they  poured 
out  volley  after  volley  of  bullets,  while  White  Bird's  men 
came  from  the  left  and  fired  at  the  same  time.  Thick  and 
fast  the  soldiers  fell,  and  they  were  commanded  to  fall 
back  to  the  next  ridge;  but  the  Indians  were  at  their  heels  as 
they  obeyed  the  order,  and  while  the  officers  were  trying 
to  rally  their  men  the  Indians  rushed  along  the  side  of  the 
caiion  to  head  them  off  and  cut  off  their  retreat.  Part  of 
them  reached  the  ascent  and  hurried  out  in  safety,  but  the 
others  surrendered,  and  most  of  them,  together  with  their 
gallant  commander,  were  killed.  Across  the  country  the 
fleet-footed  Indians  pursued  the  flying  troops  for  twelve 
miles,  until,  four  miles  from  Mount  Idaho,  Joseph  withdrew 
his  men,  having  fought  and  won  his  first  battle,  even  though 
largely  outnumbered  by  the  enemy. 

117 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

I  In  his  own  account  of  the  battle  Joseph  says:  "We 
numbered  sixty  men,  and  the  soldiers  one  hundred.  The  fight 
lasted  but  a  few  minutes  before  the  soldiers  retreated. 
They  lost  thirty-three  killed  and  had  seven  wounded.  None 
of  the  soldiers  were  scalped.  We  do  not  believe  in  scalping 
nor  m  killing  wounded  men.  Soldiers  do  not  kill  many 
Indians  unless  they  are  wounded  and  left  on  the  battle-field. 
Then  they  kill  Indians.'*] 

This  first  encounter  with  the  non-treaties  proved  to  the 
troops  that  a  stronger  force  was  needed  to  subdue  the 
savages,  and  reinforcements  were  ordered  from  all  neigh- 
boring forts.  While  waiting  for  them,  skirmishing  with  the 
Indians  took  place,  and  a  detachment  of  soldiers,  under 
Captain  Whipple,  was  sent  to  subdue  Chief  Looking-glass's 
band  before  they  had  a  chance  to  join  the  malcontents,  but 
the  red  men  were  too  quick  for  the  soldiers,  and  Looking- 
glass  and  his  warriors  slipped  away  and  immediately  joined 
Joseph,  after  many  of  Captain  Whipple's  command  had 
been  killed  and  wounded  in  the  encounter.  General  Howard, 
meanwhile,  at  Fort  Lapwai  was  still  impatiently  awaiting 
reinforcements. 

nrhey  finally  arrived,  and  on  the  nth  of  July  the 
Indians,  who,  having  crossed  country  to  the  Lapwai  reser- 
vation, were  now  in  a  position  on  the  Clearwater,  where  they 
had  built  breastworks  of  the  most  approved  pattern  and 
were  waiting  to  give  battle,  again  saw  the  general,  who  had 
an  army  of  four  hundred  soldiers. 

On  the  troops  came,  leaving  their  two  supply-trains 
unguarded.  With  his  keen,  quick  eye,  Joseph,  from  a  high 
vantage-point  he  had  taken,  saw  this,  and  sent  thirty  war- 
riors to  attack  the  trains.  An  officer,  watching  Joseph's 
movement,  despatched  a  messenger  to  hurry  them  into  the 
lines,  while  a  company  of  cavalry  also  galloped  to  their  aid, 

ii8 


JOSEPH 

but  the  Indians  again  were  too  quick  for  them.  Capturing 
the  smaller  train,  they  killed  two  men  and  disabled  their 
animals  before  the  fire  of  the  cavalry  drove  them  off.  The 
longer  train,  however,  gained  the  lines  uninjured,  and  the 
battle  raged  fiercely  until  night,  when  both  parties  took 
time  to  strengthen  their  positions,  though  still  keeping  up 
a  desultory  firing.  At  dawn  the  fierce  combat  began  again, 
with  no  perceptible  advantage  on  either  side,  until  the  mid- 
dle of  the  afternoon,  when  General  Howard's  ranks  were 
strengthened  by  the  arrival  of  a  fresh  company  of  cavalry, 
which  so  encouraged  the  troops  that  they  charged  on  the 
enemy's  line  at  the  left. 

The  Indians  fought  fiercely  behind  their  breastworks  for 
a  while,  but  finally  gave  way  and  fled  in  'all  directions. 
From  rock  to  rock  through  the  ravines  they  bounded,  plung- 
ing into  the  river,  only  to  reappear  when  its  swift  current 
had  borne  them  out  of  reach;  but  on  pressed  the  victorious 
troops  so  close  to  them  that  the  Indians'  entire  camp 
equipment  fell  into  the  enemy's  hands,  but  for  this  the  sav- 
ages cared  nothing.  They,  themselves,  had  escaped  with 
their  herds  and  some  supplies,  and  before  the  troops  could 
cross  the  Clearwater  a  large  force  of  warriors  confronted 
them,  having  returned  to  make  another  attack.  While  the 
troops  hastily  prepared  to  meet  them  the  other  Indians 
escaped,  and  the  returning  warriors,  having  by  a  clever 
feint  accomplished  this  result,  disappeared. 

In  the  morning  the  troops  still  continued  to  pursue  the 
fleeing  Indians,  but  with  no  success,  "  and  by  night  all  the 
warriors  were  safely  encamped  in  an  almost  impregnable 
position  at  the  entrance  of  Lolo  trail,  and  Joseph,  though 
beaten  in  his  second  battle,  had  against  heavy  odds  brought 
his  forces  out  creditably." 

Finding  they  were  largely  outnumbered  by  the  troops, 

119 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

the  Indians  now  retreated  through  the  mountain-pass  to 
Bitter  Root  Valley,  encumbered  with  women,  children,  and 
herds,land  there  found  a  hastily  built  fort  held  by  Captain 
Rawn  and  a  small  force  of  regulars.  Looking-glass,  con- 
fronting the  captain,  said:  "We  will  not  fight  the  settlers 
if  they  do  not  fight  us.  We  are  going  by  you  to  the  buffalo 
country.    Will  you  let  us  go  in  peace?'' 

Rawn  replied,  "You  cannot  go  by  us." 

To  this  the  Indian  answered,  "We  are  going  by  you  with- 
out any  fighting  if  you  will  let  us,  but  we  are  going  by  you 
anyhow!" 

And  go  they  did,  not  only  in  peace,  but  stopping  at  two 
villages  on  their  way  to  trade  with  the  whites.  At  one 
place  they  left  a  spy,  wPio  remained  there  until  General 
Howard  with  his  men  had  come  up  and  passed  on,  then 
the  spy  hastened  forward  to  give  Joseph  full  details  of  the 
general's  plan  for  the  troops. 

In  Joseph's  account  of  this  he  says: 

iWe  understood  that  there  was  to  be  no  more  war.  We 
intended  to  go  peaceably  to  the  buffalo  country,  and  leave 
the  question  of  returning  to  our  country  to  be  settled  after- 
ward. 

"With  this  understanding  we  traveled  on  for  four  days, 
and,  thinking  that  the  trouble  was  all  over,  we  stopped  and 
prepared  tent-poles  to  take  with  us.  We  started  again,  and 
at  the  end  of  two  days  we  saw  three  white  men  passing 
our  camp.  Thinking  that  peace  had  been  made,  we  did  not 
molest  them.  We  could  have  killed  or  taken  them  prisoners, 
but  we  did  not  suspect  them  of  being  spies,  which  they  were. 

"That  night  the  soldiers  surrounded  our  camp.  About 
daybreak  one  of  my  men  went  out  to  look  after  his  horses. 
The  soldiers  saw  him  and  shot  him  down  like  a  coyote. 
I  have  since  learned  that  these  soldiers  were  not  those  we 

I20 


JOSEPH 

had  left  behind.  They  had  come  upon  us  from  another 
direction.  The  new  white  war-chiefs  name  was  Gibbon. 
He  charged  upon  us  while  some  of  my  people  were  still  asleep. 
We  had  a  hard  fight,  but  we  finally  drove  General  Gibbon 
back. 

**  Finding  that  he  was  not  able  to  capture  us,  he  sent  to  his 
camp  a  few  miles  away  for  his  big  guns  [cannon],  but  my 
men  had  captured  them  and  all  the  ammunition.  We 
damaged  the  big  guns  all  we  could  and  carried  away  the 
powder  and  lead.  In  the  fight  with  General  Gibbon  we 
lost  fifty  women  and  children  and  thirty  fighting-men.  We 
remained  long  enough  to  bury  our  dead,  then  retreated  as 
rapidly  as  we  could  toward  the  buffalo  country.  After  six 
days  General  Howard  came  close  to  us,  and  we  went  out 
and  attacked  him,  and  captured  nearly  all  his  horses  and 
mules  (about  two  hundred  and  fifty  head).  We  then  marched 
on  to  the  Yellowstone  Basin." 

There  Joseph  and  his  band  encamped  on  the  great  Camas 
Prairie,  west  of  the  National  Park.  "  He  had  replenished  his 
supplies,  captured  two  hundred  and  fifty  good  horses,  and 
his  forces  were  in  fine  condition.  Scarcely  a  day's  march 
behind  on  the  vast  prairie  General  Howard's  troops  were 
also  encamped,  and,  although  they  seemed  safeguarded,  as 
Lieutenant  Bacon  had  been  despatched  with  a  squad  of 
men  to  hold  Tacher's  Pass — the  most  accessible  roadway  over 
the  divide  into  the  Park — and  there  were  pickets  and  sen- 
tinels posted  at  intervals  along  the  Indians'  possible  line 
of  march,"  suddenly  a  troop  of  horsemen  came  in  sight,  on 
the  Indian  trail,  riding  in  a  column  of  four,  regularly  and 
without  haste.  On  they  came  to  the  very  lines  of  the  soldiers' 
camp,  and  were  supposed  by  the  sentinel  to  be  Bacon's  men 
returning.  He  challenged  them,  and  the  answer  was  a  deafen- 
ing war-whoop!    At  once  there  was  the  wildest  confusion 

9  121 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

among  the  troopers,  the  sound  of  shots,  and  the  stampeding 
of  horses  and  mules,  who  dashed  away,  frenzied  with  excite- 
ment, followed  by  the  Indians  yelling  like  demons.  Joseph, 
by  a  bit  of  strategy,  had  given  the  soldiers  a  very  successful 
surprise,  and  the  Indians,  eluding  their  enemies,  retreated 
through  Tacher's  Pass  to  the  beautiful  National  Park,  cap- 
turing three  white  men  and  two  women  on  the  jvay,  whom 
they  treated  kindly  and  released  at  the  end  of  three  days. 

On  the  9th  of  September  a  scout  brought  news  to 
Joseph  that  General  Sturgis  was  coming  up  from  the  Powder 
River  country  with  over  three  hundred  and  fifty  cavalry, 
besides  some  friendly  Crows,  and  the  brave  young  chief 
was  between  two  horns  of  a  dilemma.  With  General  Howard 
and  his  force  marching  against  him  in  one  direction  and 
this  new  regiment  of  cavalry  coming  from  the  south,  could 
he  again  escape  with  his  followers  ? 

With  quick  and  masterly  strategy  he  and  his  warriors 
made  a  feint  to  move  westward.  This  fooled  Sturgis,  and 
sent  him  on  a  wild-goose  chase  to  guard  a  false  trail,  while 
Joseph  and  his  men  hastily  made  their  way  through  a  dense 
forest  into  a  narrow,  dark,  and  very  slippery  caiion,  through 
which  finally  the  troops  cautiously  followed  them,  only  to 
find  that  Joseph's  fleeter  force  had  already  escaped  into  the 
open. 

General  Sturgis  had  but  one  thing  to  do  now,  and  he  did 
it.  With  hot  haste  he  and  his  men  pursued  the  Indians 
across  country,  and  all  day  the  savages  retreated,  fighting 
desperately  as  they  went,  until  at  dusk  the  exhausted  soldiers 
withdrew  to  camp  at  the  mouth  of  the  caiion,  after  a  day 
without  further  results  than  having  rounded  up  several 
hundred  ponies  which  had  been  abandoned  for  fresh  mounts 
by  the  Indians. 

On  the  next  day  the  pursuit  was  continued,  but,  try  as 

122 


JOSEPH 

they  would,  and  march  and  fight  as  they  would,  the  soldiers 
could  not  diminish  the  distance  between  the  Nez  Perces 
and  their  own  ranks,  and  the  victorious  Indians  marched 
on  to  the  Missouri,  which  they  reached  on  the  23d  of 
September,  General  Joseph  having  fought  his  fourth  battle 
against  a  much  larger  force  than  his  own,  and  held  it  in  check, 
while  he  brought  his  own  people  out  in  comparative  safety. 
As  he  modestly  says  in  his  own  account,  "This  was  the 
fourth  army,  each  of  which  outnumbered  our  fighting  force, 
that  we  had  encountered  within  sixty  days/' 

Having  crossed  the  Missouri,  the  Nez  Perces  moved 
slowly  on  to  the  north,  believing  themselves  secure  now, 
in  consequence  of  having  repulsed  the  forces  of  General 
Howard,  General  Gibbon,  and  General  Sturgis,  and  set  up 
their  camp  within  a  day's  march  of  Canada,  on  Snake  Creek, 
a  branch  of  the  Milk  River. 

General  Miles,  the  commandant  at  Fort  Keogh,  on  the 
Yellowstone,  at  once  took  advantage  of  the  one  remaining 
chance  to  subdue  the  non-treaties.  He  immediately  started 
north  to  intercept  Joseph;   and  Joseph's  narrative  says: 

"We  had  no  knowledge  of  General  Miles's  army  until  a 
short  time  before  he  made  a  charge  upon  us,  cutting  our 
camp  in  two  and  capturing  nearly  all  of  our  horses.  About 
seventy  men,  myself  among  them,  were  cut  off.  My  little 
daughter,  twelve  years  of  age,  was  with  me.  I  gave  her  a 
rope,  and  told  her  to  catch  a  horse  and  join  the  others  who 
were  cut  oflF  from  the  camp.  I  have  not  seen  her  since,  but 
I  have  learned  that  she  is  alive  and  well. 

"I  thought  of  my  wife  and  children,  who  were  now  sur- 
rounded by  soldiers,  and  I  resolved  to  go  to  them  or  die. 
With  a  prayer  in  my  mouth  to  the  Great  Spirit  Chief  who 
rules  above,  I  dashed  unarmed  through  the  hne  of  soldiers. 
It  seemed  to  me  that  there  were  guns  on  every  side,  before 

123 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

and  behind  me.  My  clothes  were  cut  to  pieces  and  my 
horse  was  wounded,  but  I  was  not  hurt.  As  I  reached  the 
door  of  my  lodge  my  wife  handed  me  my  rifle,  saying: 
'Here's  your  gun.    Fight T 

"The  soldiers  kept  up  a  continuous  fire.  Six  of  my  men  were 
killed  in  one  spot  near  me.  Ten  or  twelve  soldiers  charged 
into  our  camp  and  got  possession  of  two  lodges,  killing  three 
Nez  Perces  and  losing  three  of  their  men,  who  fell  inside 
our  lines.  I  called  my  men  to  drive  them  back.  We  fought 
at  close  range,  not  more  than  twenty  steps  apart,  and  drove 
the  soldiers  back  upon  their  main  line,  leaving  their  dead  in 
our  hands.  We  secured  their  arms  and  ammunition.  We 
lost,  the  first  day  and  night,  eighteen  men  and  three  women. 
General  Miles  lost  twenty-six  killed  and  forty  wounded. 
The  following  day  General  Miles  sent  a  messenger  into  m}^ 
camp  under  protection  of  a  white  flag.  I  sent  my  friend 
Yellow  Bull  to  meet  him. 

"Yellow  Bull  understood  the  messenger  to  say  that 
General  Miles  wished  me  to  consider  the  situation;  that  he 
did  not  want  to  kill  my  people  unnecessarily.  Yellow  Bull 
understood  this  to  be  a  demand  for  me  to  surrender  and 
save  blood.  Upon  reporting  this  message  to  me  Yellow 
Bull  said  he  wondered  whether  General  Miles  was  in  earnest. 
I  sent  him  back  with  my  answer,  that  I  had  not  made  up 
my  mind,  but  would  think  about  it  and  send  word  soon. 
A  little  later  he  sent  some  Cheyenne  scouts  with  another 
message.  I  went  out  to  meet  them.  They  said  they  believed 
that  General  Miles  was  sincere  and  really  wanted  peace. 
I  walked  on  to  General  Miles's  tent.  He  met  me,  and  we 
shook  hands.  He  said,  'Come,  let  us  sit  down  by  the  fire 
and  talk  this  matter  over.'  I  remained  with  him  all  night; 
next  morning  Yellow  Bull  came  over  to  see  if  I  was  alive 
and  why  I  did  not  return. 

124 


JOSEPH 

** General  Miles  would  not  let  me  leave  the  tent  to  see 
my  friend  alone. 

"Yellow  Bull  said  to  me:  'They  have  got  you  in  their 
power,  and  I  am  afraid  they  will  never  let  you  go  again. 
I  have  an  officer  in  our  camp,  and  I  will  hold  him  until  they 
let  you  go  free.' 

"I  said:  'I  do  not  know  what  they  mean  to  do  with  me, 
but  if  they  kill  me  you  must  not  kill  the  officer.  It  will  do 
no  good  to  avenge  my  death  by  kilHng  him.' 

"Yellow  Bull  returned  to  my  camp.  I  did  not  make  any 
agreement  that  day  with  General  Miles.  The  battle  was 
renewed  while  I  was  with  him.  I  was  very  anxious  about 
my  people.  I  knew  that  we  were  near  Sitting  Bull's  camp  in 
King  George's  land,  and  I  thought  maybe  the  Nez  Perces 
who  had  escaped  would  return  with  assistance.  No  great 
damage  was  done  to  either  party  during  the  night. 

"On  the  following  morning  I  returned  to  my  camp  by 
agreement,  meeting  the  officer  who  had  been  held  a  prisoner 
in  my  camp  at  the  flag  of  truce.  My  people  were  divided 
about  surrendering.  We  could  have  escaped  from  Bear  Paw 
Mountain  if  we  had  left  our  wounded,  old  women,  and 
children  behind.  We  were  unwilHng  to  do  this.  We  had 
never  heard  of  a  wounded  Indian  recovering  while  in  the 
hands  of  white  men. 

"On  the  evening  of  the  fourth  day  General  Howard  came 
in  with  a  small  escort,  together  with  my  friend  Chapman. 
We  could  now  talk  understandingly.  General  Miles  said 
to  me  in  plain  words,  *If  you  will  come  out  and  give  up 
your  arms,  I  will  spare  your  lives  and  send  you  to  the 
reservation.'  I  do  not  know  what  passed  between  General 
Miles  and  General  Howard. 

"I  could  not  bear  to  see  my  wounded  men  and  women  suf- 
fer any  longer;  we  had  lost  enough  already.    General  Miles 

125 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

had  promised  that  we  might  return  to  our  own  country 
with  what  stock  we  had  left.  I  thought  we  could  start 
again.  I  believed  General  Miles,  or  I  never  would  have 
surrendered,  I  have  heard  that  he  has  been  censured  for 
making  the  promise  to  return  us  to  Lapwai.  He  could 
not  have  made  any  other  terms  with  me  at  that  time.  I 
would  have  held  him  in  check  until  my  friends  came  to  my 
assistance,  and  then  neither  of  the  generals  nor  their  soldiers 
would  have  ever  left  Bear  Paw  Mountain  alive. 

"On  the  fifth  day  I  went  to  General  Miles  and  gave  up 
my  gun,  and  said,  *From  where  the  sun  now  stands  I  will 
fight  no  more.'    My  people  needed  rest — we  wanted  peace." 

The  terms  of  this  surrender  were  shamefully  violated. 
Joseph  and  his  band  were  taken  first  to  Fort  Leavenworth 
and  then  to  the  Indian  Territory.  At  Leavenworth  they 
were  placed  in  the  river-bottom,  where  they  had  no  water 
to  drink  but  that  from  the  muddy  river. 

"Many  of  my  people  sickened  and  died,  and  we  buried 
them  in  this  strange  land,"  says  Joseph.  "I  cannot  tell 
how  much  my  heart  suffered  for  my  people  while  at  Leaven- 
worth. The  Great  Spirit  Chief  who  rules  above  seemed  to 
be  looking  some  other  way  and  did  not  see  what  was  being 
done  to  my  people." 

Then,  with  a  magnanimous  justice  of  which  few  white 
men  would  have  been  capable  under  the  circumstances, 
Joseph  added:  "I  beheve  General  Miles  would  have  kept 
his  word  if  he  could  have  done  so.  I  do  not  blame  him  for 
what  we  have  suffered  since  the  surrender.  I  do  not  know 
who  is  to  blame.  We  gave  up  all  our  horses,  over  eleven 
hundred,  and  all  our  saddles,  over  one  hundred,  and  we 
have  not  heard  from  them  since.  Somebody  has  got  our 
horses!'* 

This  simple  statement  of  Joseph's  is,  as  Helen  Hunt  Jack- 

126 


JOSEPH 

son  has  said,  "a  very  Iliad  of  tragedy;  of  dignified  and  hope- 
less sorrow,"  and  it  stands  supported  by  the  official  records 
of  the  Indian  Bureau. 

Chief  Joseph's  trust  in  the  integrity  of  General  Miles 
was  not  misplaced.  Seven  years  after  the  brave  chiefs 
surrender;  he  and  the  remainder  of  his  band  were  returned 
to  the  neighborhood  of  their  old  home,  which  in  some  degree 
atoned  for  the  wrong  done  one  of  the  noblest  Indian  patriots 
who  ever  attempted  to  mete  out  justice  alike  to  his  own 
race  and  to  the  white  men,  at  whose  hands  he  suffered 
such  cruel  wrongs.  Listen  to  a  bit  of  Joseph's  clear-cut 
philosophy,  as  he  put  it  down  in  writing  some  years  ago: 

If  the  white  man  wants  to  live  in  peace  with  the  Indian,  he  can 
live  in  peace.  There  need  be  no  trouble.  Treat  all  men  alike. 
Give  them  all  the  same  law.  Give  them  all  an  even  chance  to 
live  and  grow.  All  men  were  made  by  the  same  Great  Spirit 
Chief.  They  are  all  brothers.  The  earth  is  the  mother  of  all 
people,  and  all  people  should  have  equal  rights  upon  it.  You 
might  as  well  expect  the  rivers  to  run  backward  as  that  any  man 
who  was  born  a  free  man  should  be  contented  when  penned  up 
and  denied  liberty  to  go  where  he  pleases.  If  you  tie  a  horse  to  a 
stake,  do  you  expect  he  will  grow  fat?  If  you  pen  an  Indian  up 
on  a  small  spot  of  earth  and  compel  him  to  stay  there  he  will 
not  be  contented,  nor  will  he  grow  and  prosper.  I  have  asked 
some  of  the  great  white  chiefs  where  they  get  their  authority 
to  say  to  the  Indian  he  shall  stay  in  one  place,  while  he  sees  white 
men  going  where  they  please.    They  cannot  tell  me. 

When  I  think  of  our  condition  my  heart  is  heavy.  I  see  men 
of  my  race  treated  as  outlaws  and  driven  from  country  to  country 
or  shot  down  like  animals. 

I  know  that  my  race  must  change.  We  cannot  hold  our  own 
with  the  white  men  as  we  are.  We  can  only  ask  an  even  chance 
to  live  as  other  men  live.  We  ask  to  be  recognized  as  men.  We 
ask  that  the  same  law  shall  work  alike  on  all  men.  If  the  Indian 
breaks  the  law,  punish  him  by  the  law.  If  the  white  man  breaks 
the  law,  punish  him  also. 

127 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

Let  me  be  a  free  man — free  to  travel,  free  to  stop,  free  to  work, 
free  to  trade  where  I  choose,  free  to  choose  my  own  teachers, 
free  to  follow  the  religion  of  my  fathers,  free  to  think  and  talk  and 
act  for  myself— and  I  will  obey  every  law  or  submit  to  the  penalty. 

Whenever  the  white  man  treats  the  Indian  as  they  treat  each 
other,  then  we  will  have  no  more  wars.  We  shall  all  be  alike — 
brothers  of  one  father  and  one  mother,  with  one  sky  above  us 
and  one  country  around  us,  and  one  government  for  all.  Then 
the  Great  Spirit  Chief  who  rules  above  will  smile  upon  this  land, 
and  send  rain  to  wash  out  the  bloody  spots  made  by  brothers' 
hands  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  For  this  time  the  Indian  race 
are  waiting  and  praying.  I  hope  that  no  more  groans  of  wounded 
men  and  women  will  ever  go  to  the  ear  of  the  Great  Spirit  Chief 
above,  and  that  all  people  may  be  one  people. 

In-mut-too-yah-lat-lat  has  spoken  for  his  people. 

Young  Joseph. 


SITTING    BULL 


SITTING  BULL:  MEDICINE-MAN  OF  THE  SIOUX 

RIDING  slowly  along  a  rough  forest  trail  claimed  by 
the  Sioux,  came  two  Crow  Indians,  mounted  on  ponies, 
and  a  woman  with  her  papoose  strapped  to  her  back. 

"Woo!  Woo!  Hay-ay!"  Down  the  trail  dashed  another 
pony  ridden  by  a  young  Sioux  whooping  and  brandishing 
a  tomahawk,  while  behind  him  galloped  more  Indians,  who 
all  fell  upon  the  trespassing  Crows,  killed  them,  and  dashed 
away,  the  young  Sioux  in  proud  triumph,  for  he  had  counted 
his  first  "coup,"  or  victory,  over  the  body  of  a  dead  enemy. 

The  boy  was  Jumping  Badger,  the  fourteen-year-old  son 
of  Sitting  Bull,  a  sub-chief,  and  when  only  ten  years  old 
had  won  the  applause  of  his  tribe  by  kiUing  a  buffalo,  of 
which  there  were  then  vast  herds  in  northern  Dakota. 

Now,  four  years  later,  he  had  counted  his  first  coup,  and 
Sitting  Bull  had  a  great  feast  spread  in  the  boy's  honor, 
to  which  he  invited  warriors  from  near  and  far.  Besides 
dancing  and  feasting  and  recounting  their  scalp-taking  and 
coups  around  the  big  council-fire,  without  which  no  Indian 
festivity  is  complete,  each  guest  was  given  a  horse  in  cele- 
bration of  the  event,  and  the  host  announced  that  Jumping 
Badger  had  won  the  right  to  be  known  henceforth  by  his 
father's  name,  and  Sitting  Bull  the  boy  was  called  from  that 
moment  to  the  end  of  his  eventful  career. 

Strong  and  sturdy  the  young  Indian  grew  to  be,  until 
he  stood  almost  six  feet  tall,  as  straight  as  a  pine  tree, 
with  a  finely  shaped  head,  large  nose,  deep-set,  keen,  brown 

131 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

eyes — a  color  rare  among  Indians — and  a  broad  forehead 
from  which  his  heavy  hair  was  parted  and  hung  in  two  long 
braids. 

Such  was  Sitting  Bull,  the  young  warrior,  who  possessed 
so  much  magnetism  that  he  often  won  a  follower  simply 
by  a  glance,  and  of  his  power  over  men  he  was  fully  conscious. 

In  those  days  of  his  young  manhood  Sitting  Bull  decided 
to  write  down  the  happenings  of  his  early  career  in  the  pic- 
ture writing  of  his  people.  In  some  way  he  secured  an  old 
roll-call  of  the  Thirty-first  Cavalry,  who  were  stationed  at  a 
near-by  post,  and  on  the  blank  pages  of  the  book  he  drew 
sketches  in  brown  and  black  inks,  adding  a  touch  of  color 
for  blankets  and  head-dresses,  and  in  the  corner  of  each 
sketch  he  drew  a  buffalo  on  its  haunches.  This  was  Sitting 
Bull's  "totem,"  or  symbol,  and  showed  that  the  pictures 
were  a  true  record  of  his  own  deeds  as  a  warrior,  killing  and 
scalping  his  enemies,  raiding  a  village  with  his  followers, 
or  driving  a  herd  of  stolen  cattle  across  the  plains,  as  well 
as  a  proof  that  in  those  days  he  took  an  active  part  in  war- 
fare. 

But  he  was  primarily  a  leader,  born  to  command  rather 
than  to  fight.  Having  discovered  this,  he  "made  his  medi- 
cine" with  prayer  and  fasting,  after  the  manner  of  every 
Indian  youth,  then  adopted  all  the  mysterious  rites  and 
customs  of  a  "medicine-man,"  and  frequently  at  the  time 
of  a  combat  retired  to  the  Medicine  Lodge,  communing,  so 
he  said,  with  the  Great  Spirit,  from  whom  he  received  super- 
natural directions  for  the  guidance  of  his  followers.  Coming 
out  from  the  lodge,  he  would  ask  for  news  of  the  battle 
in  an  impassioned  voice;  then,  with  face  upturned  as  if  in 
invocation  to  the  Great  Spirit,  he  would  give  orders  to  his 
followers,  and  prophesy  the  outcome  of  the  combat  to  an 
awed,  responsive  band  of  believers,  who,  wrapping  their 

132 


SITTING     BULL:      MEDICINE-MAN     OF    THE    SIOUX 


SITTING    BULL 

blankets  around  them,  would  go  silently  away  to  do  his 
bidding,  while  their  leader  as  silently  returned  to  the  lodge 
to  receive  further  communications  from  the  Great  Spirit. 

So  accurately  did  he  forecast  events,  and  so  wisely  did 
he  advise  the  childlike  savages  of  his  band,  that  he  soon 
drew  around  him  a  formidable  array  of  chiefs,  among  them 
the  great  warrior  Gall,  the  orator  Running  Antelope,  and 
the  fierce  hostiles  Crazy  Horse  and  Rain-in-the-Face,  with 
a  score  of  others,  who,  with  their  leader,  encamped  where, 
as  wards  of  the  government,  they  could  draw  supplies  from 
a  quarter-circle  of  agencies  surrounding  them.  Their  camp 
was  in  the  midst  of  the  "bad  lands"  of  Dakota,  or  great 
chasms  of  clay  baked  and  cracked  into  deep  fissures  by  the 
intense  droughts  of  that  climate,  making  the  country  prac- 
tically impassable;  and,  so  intrenched,  they  were  able  to 
defy  the  government.  Because  of  the  location  which  they 
had  taken,  and  of  Sitting  Bull's  ability  as  a  leader,  the  gov- 
ernment, in  1868,  decided  that  he  and  his  followers  would 
be  safer  to  have  as  friends  than  foes,  and  made  a  treaty 
which  declared  "the  country  of  the  North  Platte  and  the 
Big  Horn  Mountains,  which  included  the  Black  Hills,  were 
unceded  Indian  territory,  upon  which  no  white  man  should 
settle,  or  which  he  should  not  even  travel  through  without 
consent  of  the  Indians." 

This  pacified  the  hostiles,  and  for  seven  years  they 
galloped  over  the  vast]  plains  hunting  buffalo  and  other 
game  at  will,  and  fished  and  foraged  freely  in  that  vast 
region  of  which  for  so  long  they  had  been  unmolested  owners. 

Then  gold  was  discovered  in  the  Black  Hills,  and  "Away 
with  treaty  rights!"  cried  the  great  tide  of  miners  and 
settlers  who  poured  into  Montana  and  Dakota,  their 
peremptory  demand  being  "Remove  the  Indians  to  Indian 
Territory!" 

133 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

But  Sitting  Bull  and  his  followers  were  determined. 
Around  the  great  council-fire  they  discussed  the  situation 
and  made  their  decision.  Liberty  was  theirs,  and  theirs 
were  the  Black  Hills  by  grant  of  the  Great  Father  at  Wash- 
ington. Not  a  foot  of  land  would  they  yield  because  of  the 
treachery  of  the  pale-faces ! 

But  still  the  whites  came  crowding  into  the  Black  Hills 
region,  and  the  government  officials,  who  wished  to  keep 
peace  with  both  Indians  and  white  men,  begged  Sitting 
Bull  and  his  chiefs  to  go  peacefully  onto  a  reservation  where 
their  rights  and  interests  would  be  maintained.  Several 
sub-chiefs,  among  them  Spotted  Tail  and  Red  Cloud,  were 
easily  won  over,  but  Sitting  Bull,  after  listening  to  the  argu- 
ments of  the  white  men  in  grim,  inscrutable  silence,  threw 
back  his  head  until  the  muscles  of  his  throat  stood  out  like 
great  ropes,  and  said  with  haughty  defiance,  *'This  is  what 
we  say  to  you.  We  will  kill  any  white  man  who  is  found 
in  our  country  without  having  asked  our  permission — as  it 
is  said  in  the  treaty  you  are  trying  to  break." 

From  that  moment  there  was  no  end  to  hostilities  between 
the  settlers  and  the  Sioux,  who  burned  cabins,  stole  cattle 
and  horses,  and  seized  provisions  for  their  own  use. 

Then  two  lieutenants  of  United  States  troops,  returning 
from  a  survey  of  the  Yellowstone  Valley,  were  shot  and 
scalped  by  the  great  war-chief  Gall,  and  several  months 
later,  when  a  similar  expedition  again  met  the  hostiles,  a 
veterinary  surgeon  and  a  sutler  of  the  company  were  mur- 
dered while  riding  unarmed  and  detached  from  the  main 
body  of  soldiers,  being  entirely  unsuspicious  of  any  dan- 
ger. 

Their  murderer  escaped  without  being  identified,  and 
was  at  large  for  eighteen  months,  when  Rain-in-the-Face,  a 
remarkable  young  Sioux,  was  taking  part  in  the  Sun  Dance, 

134 


SITTING    BULL 

in  which  every  young  warrior  is  given  a  chance  to  prove 
his  courage  and  endurance. 

"  Suspended  in  the  air  by  a  rawhide  rope  passed  through 
slits  cut  in  his  body,  the  victim  hangs  until  the  flesh  tears 
and  he  falls  to  the  ground.  If  he  faints  or  cries  out,  he  is 
ever  after  called  a  squaw  and  treated  as  one.  Rain-in-the- 
Face  was  lucky,  for  his  tendons  gave  away  easily  and  he 
was  released  after  such  a  short  suspension  that  Sitting  Bull, 
watching  with  grim  eagerness,  declared  the  test  was  not 
severe  enough.  Without  wincing,  the  young  warrior  defied 
him  to  do  his  worst,  declaring  that  nothing  could  wring  a 
moan  from  his  lips. 

"  Deep  slits  were  then  cut  in  his  back,  over  the  kidneys, 
and  a  rope  was  passed  through  them,  while  for  two  days  the 
young  Indian  swung,'*  taunting  his  torturers,  singing  war- 
songs,  and  boasting  of  his  deeds — among  them  the  murder 
of  the  two  men  belonging  to  the  last  Yellowstone  expedition. 
At  last.  Sitting  Bull,  satisfied  that  Rain-in-the-Face  had 
proved  his  courage,  ordered  buffalo-skulls  to  be  tied  to  his 
legs,  and  the  added  weight,  with  some  vigorous  kicking, 
enabled  the  Indian  stoic  to  break  free,  after  one  of  the 
most  marvelous  exhibitions  of  endurance  ever  seen,  even 
among  the  Sioux,  where  that  quality  was  not  uncommon. 

Rain-in-the-Face  had  passed  muster  as  a  warrior,  but  a 
scout  who  had  witnessed  the  test  and  heard  his  boasts 
of  murder  while  hanging,  carried  the  news  to  General 
Custer,  and  he  immediately  sent  a  squad  of  soldiers,  under 
the  command  of  his  brother,  Captain  Tom  Custer,  to  arrest 
Rain-in-the-Face  at  Standing  Rock  Agency,  where  he  was 
then  drawing  supplies.  The  self-confessed  murderer  was 
then  brought  before  General  Custer,  confined  in  the  guard- 
house, and  condemned  to  die.  But  this  was  too  tame  an 
ending  to  his  career  to  suit  such  a  warrior  as  Rain-in-the- 

135 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

Face,  and  he  escaped,  fled  to  the  hostile  camp,  and  sent 
back  word  to  General  Custer  that  he  had  joined  Sitting 
Bull,  and  was  awaiting  his  time  for  revenge,  when,  so  he 
said,  he  should  cut  Tom  Custer's  heart  out  and  eat  it! 

So  matters  stood  between  Sitting  Bull's  band  and  the 
government  in  1876,  when  it  was  decided  to  attempt  one 
more  campaign  against  them,  and  General  Terry,  General 
Crook,  and  General  Custer  were  sent  out  in  the  early  spring 
to  locate  the  hostile  camp. 

At  that  time  of  the  year  Sitting  Bull's  followers  had  just 
broken  up  winter  camp  on  the  bad  lands,  and  together 
with  a  large  number  of  Uncpapas,  Cheyennes,  and  other 
tribes  were  moving  toward  the  Big  Horn  region,  because 
game  was  abundant  there,  and  they  would  be  far  enough 
away  from  the  troops  to  hunt  in  peace. 

Without  any  idea  of  the  campaign  which  was  planned 
against  them,  or  of  concerted  action,  except  a  common  desire 
to  keep  together  until  they  should  have  had  a  promised 
Sun  Dance,  the  tribes  encamped  together  on  the  Rosebud 
River  were  for  the  moment  guiltless  of  hostile  action, 
when  suddenly  at  midnight  heralds  on  horseback  awakened 
heavy  sleepers  by  galloping  around  the  great  village  of 
tepees,  crying  out,  "Soldiers  are  coming!"  Forty  young 
braves  had  seen  their  trail,  had  surrounded  General  Crook 
and  given  him  a  running  battle,  but  his  force  was  surely 
coming — coming ! 

Immediately  a  great  council  of  war  was  held,  and  there 
were  prolonged  and  persistent  calls  for  the  prophet,  the 
leader,  the  great  medicine-man.  Sitting  Bull,  to  give  advice. 

Rain-in-the-Face,  telling  of  the  battle  afterward,  said : 

"Sitting  Bull  had  made  big  medicine  way  off  on  a  hill. 
He  came  in  with  it.  He  made  a  big  speech  and  said  that 
Waukontonka  [the  Great  Spirit]  had  come  to  him  riding  on 

136 


SITTING    BULL 

an  eagle.  Waukontonka  had  told  him  that  the  long  swords 
were  coming,  but  the  Indians  would  wipe  them  off  the  face 
of  the  earth.  His  speech  made  our  hearts  glad.  Next 
day  our  runners  came  in  and  told  us  the  long  swords  were 
coming.  Sitting  Bull  had  the  squaw  put  up  empty  death 
lodges  along  the  bend  of  the  river  to  fool  their  scouts  when 
they  came  and  looked  over  the  bluffs.  The  brush  and 
bend  hid  our  lodges.  Then  Sitting  Bull  went  away  to  make 
more  medicine,  and  didnt  come  back  till  the  fight  was  over.^^ 
Wily  Sitting  Bull! 

On  came  General  Crook  with  his  forces,  only  to  be  re- 
pulsed by  the  band  of  warriors  headed  by  Gall,  Rain-in- 
the-Face,  Crazy  Horse,  Lone  Bull,  and  other  equally  powerful 
fighters,  who  after  beating  back  the  white  soldiers  kept  a 
close  watch  on  their  movements  until  sure  that  they  had 
retreated  so  far  that  the  Indians  thought  it  safe  to  raise 
camp  and  cross  the  divide  to  the  Little  Big  Horn.  Reaching 
there,  they  lingered  for  a  few  days,  enjoying  the  fine  hunting 
and  the  wide  open  spaces  so  well  adapted  to  celebrating 
their  summer  dances,  and  little  did  they  dream  that  even 
then  two  other  generals,  Terry  and  Custer,  were  following 
in  the  wake  of  Crook,  whom  they  had  driven  back. 

Several  days  passed,  and  at  noon,  on  the  25th  of  June, 
there  were  hundreds  of  young  braves  and  boys  on  the  flats 
playing  ball  and  horse-racing,  all  of  them  armed,  as  young 
Indians  of  the  plains  are  apt  to  be.  Other  Indians  were 
eating  their  midday  meal  when  from  the  south  end  of  the 
camp  rang  out  a  cry: 

"Woo!  Woo!  Hay-ay!  Hay-ay!  Warriors  to  your  sad- 
dles!   The  white  soldiers  are  upon  us!" 

On  a  swift  pony  the  crier  dashed  through  the  village  of 
tepees  amid  a  tumult  of  confusion.  Chiefs  shouted  to  their 
bands  to  fight  to  the  last  moment — some  cried  out  to  let 
10  137 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

the  old  men  and  women  move  the  children  out  of  the  path 
of  the  bullets,  others  advised  to  remain  still,  and  already 
balls  were  whistling  through  the  Uncpapa  camp.  I/ike  hail 
they  came  from  the  soldiers  of  Major  Reno's  command, 
who  had  dismounted  and  were  shooting,  while  already 
surrounded  by  a  great  crowd  of  Indian  warriors  awaiting 
a  signal  to  charge  on  the  soldiers. 

Lone  Bull  gave  the  war-whoop;  there  was  a  dash  made 
for  the  white  men  with  such  force  that  after  a  hot  pursuit 
and  some  desperate  fighting  the  entire  body  of  Major 
Reno's  command  was  repulsed  and  hemmed  in  by  less 
than  five  hundred  Indians. 

Just  as  the  charge  was  made  on  Reno's  men,  at  the  north 
end  of  the  encampment.  General  Custer  and  his  men  were 
discovered  approaching  about  two  miles  and  a  half  to  the 
south. 

"Woo!  Woo!  Here  they  come!"  the  shout  went  up,  as 
Custer  and  his  formidable  column  came  over  the  slope  of 
the  river-bank,  but  look — look!  He  is  trying  to  ford  the 
river  at  the  wrong  spot.  Crazy  Horse  sees  his  advantage,  is 
galloping  like  the  wind  to  the  right  ford  half  a  mile  down- 
stream. Custer  is  still  attempting  to  cross  above — some 
of  his  men  have  dismounted,  are  examining  the  river-banks, 
have  discovered  their  mistake,  in  despair  are  firing  into 
the  enemy's  camp,  but  it  is  too  late;  Crazy  Horse  and 
his  followers  have  already  crossed  the  river,  and  behind 
them  are  dashing  Little  Horse  and  White  Bull  with  the 
other  Cheyennes,  and  down  to  the  ford  the  Brules  and  the 
Minneconwojus  are  coming  to  join  them  at  breakneck  speed. 

Across  the  river  and  along  the  edge  of  the  ravine  they 
dashed,  going  east  from  the  crossing  until  it  passed  the 
ridge,  while  Iron  Star  and  Low  Dog  turned  to  the  south 
immediately  after  crossing  the  river.    Firing  from  the  camp 

138 


SITTING    BULL 

Still  kept  up,  and  as  the  Indians  came  near  Custer's  force 
they  opened  fire  on  the  soldiers,  and  forced  them  back  toward 
the  ridge  half  a  mile  in  from  the  river-bank. 

Again  Custer  saw  danger  too  late  to  remedy  it.  One 
company  having  reached  the  summit  of  the  ridge  only  to 
be  forced  behind  the  brow  of  the  hill  by  the  Indians,  the 
soldiers  then  took  up  three  separate  positions  along  the 
ridge,  but  were  already  hemmed  in  by  their  foes.  The  gun- 
shots and  deafening  war-whoops  so  frightened  the  horses 
that  many  of  the  soldiers  dismounted,  and,  lying  on  the 
ground,  shot  wildly  among  the  whirling  masses  of  Indians. 

There  was  a  signal  for  a  general  onslaught  of  the  Indians, 
a  wild  charge  of  Crazy  Horse  with  the  Oglallas,  and  White 
Horse  and  White  Bull  with  the  Cheyennes.  A  daring 
soldier  on  a  swift  horse  started  for  the  river,  but  was  brought 
down.  Another  signal  for  a  charge — an  attack  from  all 
sides.  Yells  of  "Woo!  Woo!  Hay-ay!  Hay-ay!"  as  the 
entire  body  of  Indians,  now  armed  with  clubs  and  bows 
and  arrows,  charged  again,  and  with  the  fiercest  kind  of 
fighting  wiped  out  Custer  and  that  gallant  force  with  which 
he  had  gone  out  to  quell  the  hostile  band. 

The  brave  general  had  made  his  last  raid — had  been 
defeated,  not  because  he  had  encountered  a  greater  number 
of  Indians  than  he  had  expected,  but  because  he  had  under- 
estimated their  ability  as  warriors. 

Having  wiped  out  Custer's  command,  the  Indians  imme- 
diately surrounded  Major  Reno's  force,  and  soon  occupied 
every  available  spot  around  him,  so  that  his  escape  was 
impossible,  and  kept  him  thus  hemmed  in  for  fourteen  hours, 
when  a  scout  brought  news  that  a  large  boat  and  many 
soldiers  were  coming  up  the  Big  Horn  River.  A  hurried 
council  was  held,  camp  was  hastily  raised,  Major  Reno 
released,  and  the  victorious  tribes  hurriedly  broke  up  into 

139 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

smaller  parties  and  scattered  in  different  directions,  for  their 
own  safety. 

In  his  story  of  the  battle  Rain-in-the-Face  said: 

"I  had  sung  the  war-song — I  had  smelt  the  powder- 
smoke — my  heart  was  bad — I  was  like  one  who  had  no  mind. 
I  rushed  in  and  took  their  flag.  My  pony  fell  dead  as  I 
took  it.  I  jumped  up  and  brained  the  long-sword  flagman 
with  my  war-club  and  ran  back  to  our  line  with  the  flag. 
The  long-sword's  blood  and  brains  splashed  in  my  face. 
It  felt  hot,  and  blood  ran  in  my  mouth.  I  could  taste  it. 
I  was  mad.  I  got  a  fresh  pony  and  rushed  back,  shooting, 
cutting,  and  slashing.   This  pony  was  shot,  and  I  got  another. 

"This  time  I  saw  Little  Hair  [Tom  Custer].  I  remembered 
my  vow.  I  was  crazy.  I  feared  nothing.  I  knew  nothing 
would  hurt  me,  for  I  had  my  white-weasel-tail  charm  on. 
I  do  not  know  how  many  I  killed  trying  to  get  at  him.  He 
knew  me.  I  laughed  at  him  and  yelled  at  him.  He  was 
afraid.  When  I  got  near  enough  I  shot  him  with  my  revolver. 
1  leaped  from  my  pony  and  cut  out  his  heart  and  bit  a  piece 
out  of  it  and  spit  it  in  his  face.  I  got  back  on  my  pony  and 
rode  off  shaking  it.  I  was  satisfied  and  sick  of  fighting. 
I  didn't  scalp  him. 

"I  didn't  go  back  on  the  field  after  that.  The  squaws 
came  up  afterward  and  killed  the  wounded,  cut  their  boot- 
legs for  moccasin  soles,  and  took  their  money  and  watches 
and  rings.  They  cut  their  fingers  off  to  get  them  quicker. 
They  hunted  for  Long  Yellow  Hair  to  scalp  him,  but  could 
not  find  him.  He  didn't  wear  his  fort  clothes  [uniform], 
his  hair  had  been  cut  off,  and  the  Indians  didn't  know  him. 

"That  night  we  had  a  big  feast  and  the  scalp  dance. 
Then  Sitting  Bull  came  again  and  made  another  speech. 
He  said,  *I  told  you  how  it  would  be.  I  made  great  medicine. 
My  medicine  warmed  your  hearts  and  made  you  brave.' 

140 


SITTING    BULL 

"He  talked  a  long  time.  All  the  Indians  gave  him  the 
credit  of  winning  the  fight  because  his  medicine  won  it. 
But,  he  wasnt  in  the  fight!  Gall  got  mad  at  Sitting  Bull  that 
night.  Gall  said,  *We  did  the  fighting;  you  only  made 
medicine.'  It  would  have  been  the  same,  anyway.  Their 
hearts  were  bad  toward  each  other  after  that  always.  After 
that  fight  we  could  have  killed  all  the  others  on  the  hill 
[Reno's  men]  but  for  the  quarrel  between  Gall  and  Sitting 
Bull.  Both  wanted  to  be  head  chief.  Some  of  the  Indians 
said  Gall  was  right  and  went  with  him,  and  some  said 
Sitting  Bull  ,was.''  . 

When  news  of  the  Custer  catastrophe  was  received  at 
Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  General  Miles  and  the  Fifth 
Infantry  were  ordered  to  go  immediately  to  the  scene  of  the 
hostilities,  and  on  an  autumn  day  when  Lieutenant  Otis  and 
his  men  were  escorting  a  train  of  supplies  from  Glendive, 
Montana,  to  the  cantonment  they  were  attacked  by  such 
a  fierce  body  of  Indians  that  the  soldiers  had  hard  work  to 
keep  their  horses  from  being  stampeded  and  the  train  from 
being  captured.  They  finally  beat  back  the  Indians,  and 
while  there  was  a  momentary  cessation  of  hostilities  a 
messenger  rode  out  from  the  Indian  ranks  waving  a  paper, 
which  he  pointedly  dropped  on  a  hill  in  sight.  It  was  picked 
up  and  handed  to  Colonel  Otis,  who  read  it. 

Yellowstone. 
I  want  to  know  what  you  are  doing  traveling  on  this  road. 
You  scare  all  the  buffalo  away.  I  want  to  hunt  in  this  place. 
I  want  you  to  turn  back  from  here.  If  you  don't,  I  will  fight  you 
again.  I  want  you  to  leave  what  you  have  got  here  and  turn 
back  from  here.  I  am  your  friend. 

Sitting  Bull. 

I  mean  all  the  rations  you  have  got,  and  some  powder.  Wish 
you  would  write  as  soon  as  you  can. 

141 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

Having  read  this  remarkable  document,  doubtless  written 
by  some  half-breed  at  Sitting  Bull's  dictation,  the  colonel 
sent  a  scout  to  Sitting  Bull  to  say  that  he  intended  to  take 
his  wagon -train  through  to  headquarters  in  spite  of  all 
the  Indians  alive,  and  if  Sitting  Bull  wished  a  fight  he  would 
be  glad  to  accommodate  him.  The  train  started  again, 
and  the  Indians  promptly  resumed  their  attack,  but  the 
combat  soon  ended  in  a  truce,  as  the  Indians  said  they  were 
tired  and  hungry  and  wanted  to  treat  for  peace. 

On  hearing  this,  General  Otis  invited  Sitting  Bull  to  come 
into  his  line  to  talk  over  making  such  a  treaty,  but  that 
Sitting  Bull  refused  to  do.  Two  days  later,  however.  Gen- 
eral Otis  and  General  Miles  overtook  the  great  leader,  who 
then  himself  asked  for  an  interview,  which  the  general 
granted  for  the  next  day.  Sitting  Bull  was  attended  by 
a  sub-chief  and  six  warriors,  and  Miles  by  an  aide  and  six 
troopers,  when  the  conference  took  place.  The  Sioux 
chief  demanded  peace  on  the  old  basis.  He  required  for 
the  Indians  permission  to  retain  their  arms,  with  liberty 
to  hunt  and  roam  at  will  over  the  plains  and  prairies, 
with  no  responsibility  to  any  one.  Miles,  representing  the 
government,  required  them  to  surrender  their  arms  and  come 
into  the  agencies.  Seeing  that  the  conference  had  been 
useless.  Sitting  Bull,  standing  with  his  head  thrown  back, 
his  great  chest  bared,  his  eyes  bloodshot  and  gleaming  with 
hatred,  declared:  "No  Indian  that  ever  lived  loved  the 
white  man,  and  no  white  man  that  ever  lived  loved  the 
Indian.  God  Almighty  made  me  an  Indian,  but  not  an 
agency  Indian,  and  I  do  not  intend  to  be  one!" 

As  his  burning  words  of  invective  against  the  white  race 
dropped  like  red-hot  coals  from  his  lips,  a  young  warrior 
crept  to  his  side  and  slipped  a  revolver  under  his  blanket, 
followed  by  a  dozen  other  Indians,  all  evidently  meditating 

142 


SITTING    BULL 

treachery,  but  Miles  and  his  men  promptly  showed  their 
firearms  and  ordered  them  to  leave  at  once.  So  peremptory 
was  the  command  that  it  was  obeyed,  and  a  second  con- 
ference appointed  for  the  next  day. 

Again  Sitting  Bull  made  arbitrary  demands.  He  wished 
the  abandonment  by  white  men  of  all  military  posts,  and  the 
withdrawal  of  all  settlers  from  the  country  which  he  claimed 
for  his  race.  Miles,  enraged,  said  that  he  would  no  longer 
treat  with  a  leader  who  demanded  peace  at  his  own  terms 
and  would  concede  nothing  to  the  white  men;  that  he  would 
give  him  just  fifteen  minutes  to  go  back  to  his  men  and  get 
ready  for  fighting. 

Yelling  defiance,  chiefs  and  leader  rode  back  to  the  Indian 
lines  and  made  hurried  preparations  for  the  fight.  Miles, 
watch  in  hand,  at  the  appointed  moment  ordered  an 
advance,  and  there  was  a  wild  battle,  lasting  until  the  next 
day.  The  intrepid  braves  again  and  again  rallied  their 
forces  to  attack  the  enemy's  force,  but  each  time  failed, 
and  at  last  the  Indians  were  driven  headlong  for  forty 
miles,  with  a  serious  loss  in  warriors,  winter  supplies,  and 
camp  equipage,  and  three  days  later  two  thousand  of  them 
surrendered,  under  promise  of  good  treatment  at  the 
agencies.  Sitting  Bull,  however,  who  had  watched  the  bat- 
tle at  a  distance,  as  usual,  prophesying  and  encouraging 
his  followers,  but  taking  no  active  part  in  the  combat  him- 
self, with  Gall  and  several  hundred  others  refused  to  give 
in,  and,  gathering  his  forces  together,  fled  to  the  Canadian 
line  and  crossed  it.  There  he  and  his  band  were  safe  for 
the  moment,  and  were  soon  joined  by  the  forces  of  Rain-in- 
the-Face  and  Iron  Horn. 

Although  Sitting  Bull  had  not  raised  a  war-club  or  shot 
an  arrow  in  defense  of  his  followers'  rights,  yet  still  his 
power  remained   undiminished,   and  discontented   Indians 

143 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

from  the  agencies  kept  on  crossing  the  boundary  to  join 
the  famous  chiefs  band,  because  of  the  government  violation 
of  treaty  rights  and  the  starvation  to  which  agency  Indians 
v^ere  being  subjected. 

Knowing  the  large  number  of  Sitting  Bull's  followers  on 
Canadian  soil,  commissioners  were  sent  from  the  United 
States  to  try  once  more  to  make  a  treaty  of  peace  with  the 
hostiles,  then  at  Fort  Walsh.  Being  received  by  the  great 
leader,  the  white  men  carefully  told  of  the  great  kindness 
of  the  United  States  to  those  who  had  surrendered,  adding, 
"The  President  invites  you  to  come  to  the  boundary  of  his 
and  your  country,  and  there  give  up  your  horses,  excepting 
those  which  are  required  for  peace  purposes.  Your  arms 
and  horses  will  then  be  sold,  and  with  all  the  money  obtained 
for  them  cows  will  be  bought  and  sent  to  you." 

As  Sitting  Bull  knew  only  too  well  the  real  treatment  given 
to  agency  Indians,  his  reply  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  and 
is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  protests  of  an  Indian  chief 
against  the  oppression  of  his  race  on  record.  With  calm  de- 
fiance he  faced  the  commissioners,  ^'^or  sixty-four  years," 
he  said,  "you  have  kept  me  and  my  people,  and  treated  us 
bad.  .  .  .  We  have  done  nothing.  It  is  all  the  people  on 
your  side  that  have  started  us  to  do  all  those  depredations. 
We  could  not  go  anywhere  else,  and  we  took  refuge  in  this 
country.  .  .  .  The  part  of  the  country  you  gave  me  you 
ran  me  out  of.  ...  I  wish  you  to  go  back,  and  take  it  easy 


going 


•^ 


He  and  his  followers  positively  refused  to  give  up  their 
weapons  or  to  exchange  their  horses  for  cows,  which  they 
did  not  believe  would  be  given  them,  for,  as  Sitting  Bull 
grimly  remarked,  he  had  lost  faith  in  a  government  which 
had  made  fifty-two  treaties  with  the  Sioux  and  kept  none 
of  them, 

144 


SITTING    BULL 

Also  it  did  not  seem  to  his  men  a  priceless  privilege  to  be 
shut  up  on  reservations  which  they  could  never  leave  with- 
out being  pursued,  arrested,  and  brought  back  by  troops; 
and  the  conference  closed  without  any  satisfactory  results 
for  the  government  which  had  sent  out  the  commissioners. 

As  a  parting  shot  to  them  Sitting  Bull  remarked,  "Tell 
them  at  Washington  if  they  have  one  man  who  speaks  the 
truth,  to  send  him  to  me,  and  I  will  listen  to  what  he  has 
got  to  say!" 

Besides  the  commissioners,  several  newspaper  men  were 
also  sent  to  talk  with  the  great  medicine-man  who  was  sup- 
posed to  have  brought  about  the  Custer  massacre.  Sitting 
Bull  stood  to  receive  his  guests,  wearing  a  black-and-white 
calico  shirt,  black  cloth  moccasins  and  leggings  showily 
embroidered  with  beads  and  porcupine  quills,  and  a  many- 
hued  blanket  hanging  from  his  shoulders.  As  usual,  his 
head  was  thrown  back  in  an  imperious  way,  his  right  foot 
was  forward,  and  his  right  arm  was  folded  across  his  chest, 
in  the  manner  of  an  orator.  Grasping  his  visitor's  hand, 
"How!"  he  exclaimed,  "How!"  then  with  a  graceful  gesture 
signified  where  the  strangers  should  sit. 

During  the  conference  two  Sioux  chiefs  stood  on  guard 
at  the  door,  and  all  the  Indians  at  the  fort  were  armed 
and  ready  to  jump  in  case  of  unexpected  treason,  of  which 
they  lived  in  constant  dread,  but  their  leader  was  calm  as 
he  listened  to  the  white  men's  questions. 

"You  are  a  great  chief,  but  you  live  behind  a  cloud," 
they  said.  "Your  face  is  dark;  my  people  do  not  see  it. 
Tell  me,  do  you  hate  the  Americans  very  much?" 

Sitting  Bull's  eyes  gleamed  like  black  diamonds  as  he 
answered : 

"I  am  no  chief." 

"What  are  you?" 

MS 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

"I  am,"  he  replied,  crossing  his  arms  over  his  chest,  with 
a  grim,  sardonic  smile,  "a  man." 

Major  Walsh,  who  was  present,  hastily  explained  that 
he  meant,  if  possible,  to  keep  the  strangers  in  ignorance  of 
his  real  position  among  the  tribes,  adding,  "He  has  consti- 
tuted himself  a  ruler,  and  is  a  unique  power  among  the 
Indians,  who  accept  his  word  as  law.  He  does  not  assert 
himself  too  strongly  or  interfere  with  the  rights  or  duties 
of  others;  he  simply  guides  his  people  by  his  judgment, 
which  has  so  often  been  successful  that  even  now  his  word 
is  worth  more  than  the  united  voices  of  the  rest  of  the  camp. 
He  speaks,  they  listen  and  obey." 

The  stranger  turned  to  Sitting  Bull  again.  "What  is  your 
feeling  toward  the  Americans  now?"  he  asked. 

Sitting  Bull  did  not  even  deign  to  answer,  but  touched 
his  hip  where  his  knife  hung.    The  white  man  persisted. 

"Would  you  live  with  the  Americans  in  peace  if  they 
allowed  you  to  do  so,  or  do  you  think  you  can  only  obtain 
peace  here?    The  White  Mother  [Queen  Victoria]  is  good." 

"Better  than  the  Great  Father?  Hough!"  A  pause, 
then  Sitting  Bull  said,  "They  [the  commissioners]  asked 
me  to  give  them  my  horses.  I  bought  my  horses,  and  the}'- 
are  mine.  I  bought  them  from  men  who  came  up  the  Mis- 
souri. They  do  not  belong  to  the  government,  neither  do 
the  rifles.  The  rifles  are  also  mine.  I  bought  them.  I  paid 
for  them.  Why  I  should  give  them  up  I  do  not  know. 
I  will  not  give  them  up." 

Later  he  continued,  with  an  air  of  supreme  indiff*erence 
to  his  listeners:  "I  am  a  man.  I  see.  I  know.  I  began 
to  see  when  I  was  not  yet  born.  It  was  then  I  began  to 
study  about  my  people.  I  studied  about  many  things. 
I  studied  about  the  smallpox  that  was  killing  my  people. 
I  was  so  interested  that  I  turned  over  on  my  side.    The 

146 


SITTING    BULL 

Great  Spirit  must  have  told  me  at  that  time  that  I  would 
be  the  man  to  be  judge  of  all  the  other  Indians — a  big  man 
to  decide  for  them  in  all  their  ways." 

"And  you  have  since  decided  for  them?" 

"I  speak.    It  is  enough." 

"Could  not  your  people  whom  you  love  so  well  get  on 
with  the  Americans?" 

"No!" 

"Why?" 

"I  never  taught  my  people  to  trust  Americans.  I  have 
told  them  the  truth — that  the  Americans  are  great  liars. 
I  never  dealt  with  the  Americans.  Why  should  I?  The 
land  belonged  to  my  people.  I  say  I  never  dealt  with  them — 
I  mean  I  never  treated  with  them  in  a  way  to  surrender 
my  people's  rights.  I  traded  with  them,  but  I  always  gave 
full  value  for  what  I  got.  ...  I  told  every  trader  who  came 
into  our  camps  that  I  did  not  want  any  favors  from  him, 
that  I  wanted  to  trade  with  him  fairly,  giving  full  value 
for  what  I  got,  but  the  traders  wanted  no  such  terms. 
They  wanted  to  give  little  and  get  much.  They  told  me 
if  I  did  not  accept  what  they  gave  me  in  trade  they  would 
get  the  government  to  fight  me.  I  told  them  I  did  not  want 
to  fight." 

"But  you  fought?" 

"At  last,  yes;  but  not  until  I  had  tried  hard  to  prevent  a 
fight.  At  first  my  young  men,  when  they  began  to  talk 
bad,  stole  five  American  horses.  I  was  afraid  something 
bad  would  come  of  this,  so  I  took  the  horses  away  from 
them  and  gave  them  ba^k  to  the  Americans.  It  did  no  good. 
By  and  by  we  had  to  fight." 

Still  determined  to  bring  about  the  surrender  of  the 
hostiles,  in  the  autumn  of  1 880  the  government  sent  an 
army  scout,  A.  H.  Allison,  together  with  a  soldier  in  plain 

147 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

clothes,  to  attempt  what  had  so  many  times  been  unsuc- 
cessful, and  the  two  men  set  out  with  a  wagon-load  of 
provisions  and  presents  for  the  Indians,  whom  they  trailed 
and  finally  found  in  northern  Montana,  having  been  driven 
across  the  American  boundary  again  in  their  desperate 
struggle  with  starvation. 

Sitting  Bull  at  once  invited  them  to  stay  in  his  own  lodge 
with  his  family  as  long  as  they  cared  to  remain — doubtless 
thinking  them  safer  while  under  his  close  observation.  They 
accepted  the  invitation,  but  Allison  at  once  sought  and 
found  Chief  Gall,  who  in  a  private  interview  told  him  that 
he  had  determined  to  make  the  whole  band  surrender,  but 
that  it  would  take  time.  He  promised,  however,  to  have 
at  least  twenty  families  ready  to  accompany  Allison  when 
he  should  leave  camp,  but  cautioned  the  scout  to  hide 
this  from  Sitting  Bull,  who  was  as  hostile  to  the  government 
as  ever,  and  to  lead  him  to  believe  that  the  famiHes  were 
only  preparing  to  visit  some  neighboring  tribes. 

That  night  there  was  a  great  confusion  in  camp;  the 
Blackfeet  made  a  raid  on  the  hostiles,  and  there  were  hours 
of  heavy  fighting,  in  which  Allison  and  his  comrade  helped 
the  Sioux  defend  their  property  and  lives,  and  by  doing  this 
protected  their  own  lives  as  well.  When  dawn  came  all 
in  the  camp  were  in  a  heavy  sleep,  and  Gall  stole  to  Sitting 
Bull's  lodge,  awakened  Allison,  and  they  held  a  whispered 
conference.  Gall  told  the  scout  that  the  twenty  families 
were  already  on  their  way  down  the  Milk  River,  having 
escaped  during  the  confusion  of  the  raid,  that  they  would 
encamp  and  wait  for  him  twenty  miles  away.  Filled  with 
joy  at  the  news,  Allison  lost  no  time  in  leaving  camp  and 
journeying  down  the  river,  where,  as  Gall  had  said,  he 
found  the  fugitives  awaiting  his  arrival.  After  refreshing 
them  with  a  hearty  supper,  which  included  good  venison, 

J48 


SITTING    BULL 

he  and  his  party  started  on  toward  Fort  Buford,  where  the 
twenty  famiUes  at  once  surrendered  to  the  government. 

Almost  as  soon  as  AUison  had  left,  Sitting  Bull  discovered 
the  escape  of  the  deserters,  and  that  they  had  been  aided  in 
their  flight  by  Chief  Gall,  who  was  at  once  called  to  a  public 
place  to  give  an  explanation  of  his  treachery. 

Into  the  middle  of  a  crowd  of  muttering  savages  leaped 
the  intrepid  Gall,  with  characteristic  courage,  and  with 
never  a  word  of  explanation  or  apology  called  on  all  who 
acknowledged  him  as  chief  to  separate  themselves  from 
Sitting  Bull's  band  and  follow  him  to  Fort  Buford. 

It  was  the  first  challenge  of  Sitting  Bull's  supremacy. 
Not  for  a  moment  did  he  dream  it  would  be  accepted. 
What  was  his  horror  and  amazement  to  see  nearly  two- 
thirds  of  his  braves  at  once  declare  allegiance  to  a  new  leader! 
Starvation  and  hostility  had  been  given  a  fair  chance — now 
for  a  change  of  regime  and  at  least  new  hopes. 

The  deserted  leader.  Sitting  Bull,  and  his  remaining 
followers  spent  that  night  and  the  following  ones  bound 
together  by  their  common  misery,  and  as  usual  at  a  crisis 
the  mighty  medicine-man  withdrew  to  commune  with  the 
Great  Spirit,  who  this  time  seemed  to  have  no  inspiring 
command  to  give,  and  on  the  20th  of  July  a  weary  band, 
headed  by  their  chief,  voluntarily  surrendered  at  Fort 
Buford. 

Two  days  later  all  the  captive  hostiles,  about  two  thousand 
in  number,  were  turned  over  to  the  agent  at  the  Standing 
Rock  Agency,  North  Dakota,  where,  although  Sitting  Bull 
was  still  hostile  to  all  government  demands  and  decrees, 
through  the  following  years  he  was  unable  to  bring  about 
any  outbreak  of  rebellion. 

Then  some  of  the  Sioux  at  the  agency  heard  of  an  Indian, 
Johnson  Sides  by  name,  who  was  proclaiming  the  second 

149 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

coming  of  Christ  as  the  Indian  millennium,  and  by  his 
frenzied  descriptions  of  coming  joy  arousing  intense  excite- 
ment among  many  tribes.  Several  agency  Indians  even 
visited  him  and  were  thrilled  by  his  glittering  promises. 
Sitting  Bull  caught  the  infection,  and  a  gleam  of  hope  flashed 
through  his  mind. 

He  had  always  been  prophet  and  seer  of  his  people. 
Here  was  a  chance  to  mount  to  a  new  height  of  influence  and 
power!  He  would  become  a  religious  teacher,  would  lead 
his  people  in  this  new  frenzy.  Clearly  his  quick  mind  saw 
how  best  to  accomplish  his  end.  Withdrawing,  as  of  old, 
from  his  tribe  for  some  days,  he  then  reappeared  and  told 
in  awed,  impassioned  words  of  a  vision,  a  meeting  with  the 
Messiah,  who  had  told  him  that  his  second  coming  was  to 
rescue  the  oppressed  Indian.  Against  a  background  of 
dramatic  imagery,  and  in  a  melodious,  entreating  voice,  he 
spoke  of  his  wonderful  revelation,  and  in  a  moment  was 
again  priest  and  prophet  of  his  tribe. 

The  Indians,  young  and  old,  swarmed  around  him,  pitching 
their  tepees  near  his;  at  his  suggestion  inaugurated  "wor- 
ship dances,"  and  three  thousand  frenzied  men,  women,  and 
children,  forming  a  ring,  danced  around  their  leader  and  his 
chiefs  for  hours  at  a  time,  chanting  weird  strains  to  the  music 
of  drum  and  rattle  until  they  dropped  from  sheer  exhaustion. 

The  enthusiasm  ran  like  wild-fire  through  the  tribe  and 
agency,  as  the  prophet  of  the  future  foretold  "the  return 
of  their  dead  ancestors,  the  restoration  of  their  old  Indian 
life,  and  the  removal  of  the  white  race,  prophesying  that 
the  white  man's  gunpowder  should  not  in  future  throw 
a  bullet  with  sufficient  force  to  injure  true  believers,"  adding 
a  long  catalogue  of  such  inflaming  promises  that  his  converts 
gave  up  all  practical  occupations,  left  their  homes,  and  spent 
their  time  in  dancing  the  ghost  dance  and  in  purification 

ISO 


SITTING    BULL 

baths,  both  of  which  occupations  were  such  a  hinderance  to 
the  usefulness  of  those  who  indulged  in  them  that  the  gov- 
ernment tried  to  put  a  stop  to  the  craze  by  arresting  Sitting 
Bull.  But  he  was  too  clever  for  them.  Up  to  that  time  he 
had  gone  regularly  to  the  agency  to  procure  his  rations,  but 
he  now  sent  a  member  of  his  family,  and  the  officers  were 
not  able  to  lay  hands  on  him. 

But  something  must  be  done  to  suppress  the  frenzy,  so 
said  the  government,  and  the  sooner  Sitting  Bull  could  be 
removed  from  among  the  agency  Indians,  the  fewer  hostiles 
there  would  be  to  encounter  when  the  outbreak  by  force 
came. 

A  peremptory  message  from  headquarters  was  sent  to 
the  commanding  officers  at  the  agency,  and  everything  was 
put  into  shape  for  a  quick  movement  against  Sitting  Bull, 
while  the  major  in  command  quietly  sent  a  company  of 
Indian  police  in  small  parties  to  points  on  the  Grand  River 
above  and  below  the  seer's  home.  They  were  scattered 
for  some  miles,  ostensibly  cutting  timber,  but  really  keeping 
a  close  watch  on  the  old  leader  and  his  followers. 

Then  came  further  orders  to  secure  him  immediately, 
and  troops  were  at  once  moved  forward  to  reinforce  the 
movements  of  the  Indian  police.  At  dawn  on  the  following 
morning,  while  Sitting  Bull  was  sleeping,  the  police  forced 
an  entrance  to  his  lodge  and  captured  him. 

Though  half  dazed  by  the  unexpected  arrest,  Sitting  Bull 
with  majestic  calm  surrendered,  and  was  preparing  to  go 
with  the  police  when  his  son.  Crowfoot,  ran  to  him  and 
began  to  scold  him  for  yielding  so  peacefully.  Immediately 
Sitting  Bull  straightened  up,  threw  back  his  head  in  the 
old  way,  and,  becoming  obstinate,  refused  to  go.  The 
police  insisted  and  dragged  him  forcibly  from  the  house, 
where  they  were  at  once  surrounded  by  a  throng  of  ghost 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

dancers,  who  were  frenzied  with  rage  at  having  their  cere- 
monies interrupted  and  by  the  capture  of  a  leader  they  had 
thought  more  than  human. 

The  pohcemen  shouted  commands  to  the  thronging 
dancers,  and  finally  a  space  was  cleared  around  Sitting  Bull, 
who  was  shivering  with  fear  and  begging  some  one  to  rescue 
him  from  the  Indian  police.  He  cried  out  that  if  the  two 
principal  men.  Bull  Head  and  Shave  Head,  were  killed,  the 
others  would  flee.  Finally,  in  as  stern  a  voice  as  he  could 
command,  he  shouted  to  his  followers  to  attack  the  police. 

At  once  Catch-the-Bear  and  Strike-the-Kettle  dashed 
through  the  crowd  and  fired  at  the  Indians  who  were  guard- 
ing Sitting  Bull.  "Catch-the-Bear's  shot  struck  Bull  Head 
in  the  side,  and  he,  wheehng,  turned  on  Sitting  Bull  and  shot 
him  in  the  left  side,  between  the  tenth  and  eleventh  ribs; 
and  as  Strike-the-Kettle's  shot  had  passed  through  Shave 
Head's  abdomen,  all  three  fell  together.  Catch-the-Bear, 
who  fired  the  first  shot,  was  immediately  shot  down  by 
Private  Lone  Man,  and  the  fight  became  general." 

The  police  at  last  gained  possession  of  Sitting  BulFs 
lodge  and  property,  and  after  hours  of  hard  fighting  drove 
the  ghost  dancers  back  into  the  near-by  forest,  and  the 
Messiah  craze,  by  the  loss  of  its  great  leader,  had  received  a 
blow  from  which  it  never  recovered. 

Sitting  Bull,  the  mighty  Sioux  Medicine-Man,  Seer,  and 
Leader,  slain  by  one  of  his  own  race,  had  gone  to  the  happy 
hunting-grounds  to  chase  the  White  Buffalo,  for  ever  to  be 
protected  by  the  Great  Spirit,  who  would  henceforth  guard 
him  from  molestations  or  injustice  at  the  hands  of  his  impla- 
cable enemy,  the  white  man. 


PONTIAC 


PONTIAC:  CONSPIRATOR  OF  THE  OTTAWAS 

IT  was  early  morning  of  the  27th  of  April,  1763, 
and  half  a  dozen  old  warriors,  heralds  of  that  Indian 
encampment  lately  assembled  on  the  banks  of  the  little 
river  Ecorces,  not  fax  from  Detroit,  stalked  among  the 
lodges  of  the  assembled  men,  women,  and  children,  calling 
out  in  deep,  guttural  tones  to  the  warriors  to  attend  the 
council  for  which  Pontiac,  the  mighty  ruler  of  the  con- 
federacy of  Ottawas,  Ojibwas,  and  Pottawottomies,  had 
called  together  his  subjects. 

At  once  the  call  was  answered.  "From  every  wigwam 
came  tall,  bronzed  figures:  Ojibwas  with  quivers  slung  at 
their  backs  and  light  war-clubs  in  their  hands;  Ottawas 
wrapped  close  in  gaudy  blankets;  Wyandots  in  painted 
shirts,  their  heads  adorned  with  feathers  and  their  leggings 
trimmed  with  tinkling  bells. 

"Silently  they  came  together — solemnly  they  seated  them- 
selves in  a  wide  circle  on  the  grass,  and  so  immovable  were 
their  savage  faces  that  none  could  have  guessed  the  depth 
of  ferocious  passion  and  hatred  hidden  beneath  the  bronzed 
masks"  as  pipes  were  lighted  and  passed  from  hand  to 
hand. 

Then  Pontiac  rose  and  stood  before  the  listening  throng, 
who  thrilled  at  the  sound  of  his  impassioned  voice  and  the 
sight  of  his  fierce  gestures.  Superb  in  vigor  and  in  muscular 
development  he  stood  before  them,  bold,  stern,  and  imperi- 

155 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

Dus,  plumed  and  painted  in  the  full  costume  of  war,  with 
the  bearing  of  a  leader  who  sweeps  aside  all  opposition  by 
the  force  of  his  will. 
With  a  glance  over  his  wild  audience,  Pontiac  spoke: 
"It  is  important,  my  brothers,'*  he  said,  "that  we  should 
exterminate  from  our  land  this  nation  [the  English],  whose 
only  object  is  our  death.     You  must  all  be  sensible  that 
we  can  no  longer  supply  our  wants  in  the  way  we  were  accus- 
tomed to  do  with  our  fathers,  the  French.     They  sell  us 
their  goods  at  double  the  price  that  the  French  made  us 
pay,  and  yet  their  merchandise  is  good  for  nothing;    for 
no  sooner  have  we  bought  a  blanket  or  other  thing  to  cover 
us  than  it  is  necessary  to  procure  others  against  the  time 
of  our  departure  for  our  wintering-ground.     Neither  will 
they  let  us  have  them  on  credit,  as  our  brothers  the  French 
used  to  do.    When  I  visit  the  English  chief  and  inform  him 
of  the  death  of  any  of  my  comrades,  instead  of  lamenting, 
as  our  brothers  the  French  used  to  do,  they  make  game  of 
us.    If  I  ask  him  for  anything  for  our  sick,  he  refuses  and 
tells  us  he  does  not  want  us,  from  which  it  is  apparent  he 
seeks  our  death. 

"  We  must,  therefore,  destroy  them  without  delay;  there 
are  but  few  of  them,  and  we  shall  easily  overcome  them — 
why  should  we  not  attack  them?  Are  we  not  men?  Have 
I  not  shown  you  the  belts  I  received  from  our  Great  Father, 
the  King  of  France?  He  tells  us  to  strike — why  should  we 
not  listen  to  his  words?  What  do  you  fear?  The  time  has 
arrived.  ...  I  have  sent  belts  and  speeches  to  our  friends, 
the  Chippewas  of  Saginaw,  and  our  brothers  the  Ottawas  of 
Michillimackinac,  and  to  those  of  the  Riviere  a  la  Tranche 
[Thames  River],  inviting  them  to  join  us,  and  they  will 
not  delay.  In  the  mean  time  let  us  strike.  There  is  no 
longer  any  time  to  lose,  and  when  the  English  shall  be 

156 


PONTI  AC 

defeated  we  will  stop  the  way  so  that  no  more  shall  return 
upon  our  lands." 

This  and  much  more  said  Pontiac,  assuring  his  audience 
that  Indians  and  Frenchmen  would  again  fight  hand  in 
hand  as  they  had  in  former  years. 

Lashed  into  a  frenzy  of  agreement  by  his  fiery  words,  the 
Indians  grunted  assent;  and,  seeing  his  words  had  accom- 
plished their  purpose,  Pontiac  spoke  again,  this  time  with 
quiet  eloquence: 

**A  Delaware  Indian,"  so  he  said,  ''conceived  an  eager 
desire  to  learn  wisdom  from  the  Master  of  Life,  but,  being 
ignorant  where  to  find  him,  he  had  recourse  to  fasting, 
dreaming,  and  magical  incantations  by  which  means  it  was 
revealed  to  him  how  he  would  reach  the  abode  of  the  Great 
Spirit.  He  told  his  purpose  to  none,  and,  having  provided 
the  equipments  of  a  hunter,  he  set  out  on  his  errand,  jour- 
neying forth  in  high  hope  and  confidence.  After  many  days 
of  travel,  full  of  strange  incidents,"  continued  Pontiac,  "he 
saw  before  him  a  mountain  so  steep  that  he  was  about  to 
turn  back,  when  a  beautiful  woman  arrayed  in  white 
appeared  and  said:  'How  can  you  hope,  encumbered  as 
you  are,  to  succeed  in  your  design  .f^  Go  down  to  the  foot  of 
the  mountain,  throw  away  your  gun,  your  ammunition, 
your  provisions,  and  your  clothing;  wash  yourself  in  the 
stream  which  flows  there,  and  you  will  then  be  prepared  to 
stand  before  the  Master  of  Life.' 

"The  Indian  obeyed,  and  again  began  to  climb  among 
the  rocks,  while  the  woman,  seeing  his  discouragement, 
laughed  at  him  and  told  him  if  he  would  have  success  he 
must  climb  by  the  aid  of  one  hand  and  one  foot  only.  He 
did  so,  and  after  great  labor  and  suffering  reached  the 
summit  of  the  mountain. 

"A  rich  and  beautiful  plain  lay  before  him,  and  in  the 

157 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

distance  he  saw  three  great  villages,  far  finer  than  those  of 
any  tribe  he  had  ever  visited.  He  approached  the  largest, 
and  as  he  entered  a  man  gorgeously  arrayed  stepped  out 
and,  taking  him  by  the  hand,  welcomed  him  to  the  celestial 
city,  and  then  led  him  into  the  presence  of  the  Great  Spirit, 
where  the  Indian  stood  dazzled  by  the  great  splendor  about 
him. 

"The  Great  Spirit  bade  him  be  seated,  and  spoke  thus  to 
him: 

"*I  am  the  Maker  of  Heaven  and  Earth,  the  trees,  lakes, 
rivers,  and  all  things  else.  I  am  the  Maker  of  mankind,  and 
because  I  love  you,  you  must  do  m}^  will.  The  land  on  which 
you  live  I  have  made  for  you,  and  not  for  others.  Why 
do  you  suffer  the  white  man  to  dwell  among  you?  My 
children,  you  have  forgotten  the  customs  and  traditions  of 
your  forefathers.  Why  do  you  not  clothe  yourselves  in 
skins,  as  they  did,  and  use  the  bows  and  arrows  and  the 
stone-pointed  lances  which  they  used?  You  have  bought 
guns,  knives,  kettles,  and  blankets  from  the  white  men 
until  you  can  no  longer  do  without  them,  and,  what  is  worse, 
you  have  drunk  the  poison  fire-water,  which  turns  you  into 
fools. 

"*  Fling  all  these  things  away;  live  as  your  wise  fore- 
fathers lived  before  you.  And  as  for  the  English — these 
dogs  dressed  in  red,  who  have  come  to  rob  you  of  your 
hunting-grounds  and  drive  away  the  game — you  must  Hft 
the  hatchet  against  them.  Wipe  them  from  the  face  of 
the  earth,  and  then  you  will  win  my  favor  back  again  and 
once  more  be  happy  and  prosperous.  The  children  of  your 
great  father,  the  King  of  France,  are  not  like  the  Enghsh. 
Never  forget  that  they  are  your  brethren.  They  are  very 
dear  to  me,  for  they  love  the  red  men  and  understand  the 
true  way  of  worshiping  me.' 

158 


PONTI AC 

"Many  more  precepts  for  use  in  daily  life  did  the  Great 
Spirit  give  the  Delaware  prophet,  after  which  he  was  pre- 
sented with  a  prayer,  embodying  all  he  had  heard,  cut  in 
Indian  characters  on  a  stick,  and  he  was  instructed  to 
send  copies  of  the  prayer  to  all  Indian  villages.  He  then 
took  his  leave,  and  returned  to  earth  to  give  a  graphic 
description  of  the  wonders  he  had  seen  in  his  heavenly  visit." 

Pontiac  had  used  the  right  method  of  inflaming  his  fol- 
lowers, who  gladly  welcomed  the  suggestion  of  a  return  to 
their  former  state  of  barbarism  and  were  eager  to  attack  the 
British  at  once. 

Then  Pontiac  unfolded  his  great  plan — a  plan  which  com- 
bined the  strategy  of  the  savage  with  the  diplomacy  and 
intelligence  of  the  white  man. 

"On  the  second  day  of  May,"  he  said,  "there  will  be  a 
simultaneous  attack  made  on  all  forts  in  the  possession  of 
the  English,  each  tribe  to  attack  the  settlement  or  fort 
nearest  their  encampment.  I,  myself,  will  personally  con- 
duct the  siege  of  Detroit,  because  that  is  the  largest  and 
best  fortified  place  to  be  attacked — thus  shall  be  carried 
out  the  command  of  the  Great  Spirit  in  wiping  the  English 
off  the  face  of  the  earth." 

There  were  yells  of  approval  as  he  finished,  and  braves, 
old  and  young,  showed  unrestrained  joy  over  the  project. 
The  various  tribes  then  made  hasty  preparations  to  break 
camp,  and  when  the  sun  rose,  the  village  of  wigwams  on  the 
river  Ecorces  had  melted  away,  leaving  only  slight  traces 
of  its  existence  in  the  silent  forest. 

Pontiac  had  called  the  council  because  of  a  momentous 
crisis  in  Indian  history.  Canada  and  all  her  dependencies 
had  surrendered  to  the  English,  the  terms  of  surrender 
having  been  carried  out  under  the  command  of  Major 
Rogers.     All  the  vast  wilderness  beyond   the  Alleghanies 

159 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

over  which  France  had  claimed  sovereignty  had  passed  into 
the  hands  of  the  British,  v^ho  beHeved  that  the  few  and 
inadequately  equipped  forts  guarding  their  new  territory 
were  equal  to  any  emergency  which  might  arise.  The  hands 
of  the  French  were  now  practically  tied;  the  English  felt 
no  fear  of  a  serious  outbreak  among  the  Indians,  so  Pontiac's 
conspiracy  was  able  to  ripen  into  full  maturity  without 
even  a  suspicion  of  its  growth  among  those  against  whom 
the  savages  were  plotting. 

During  the  rule  of  the  French  in  Canada  they  had  con- 
ciliated the  Indians  in  every  way,  recognizing  the  value  of 
their  good  will.  Presents  had  been  given  them  frequently, 
and  at  the  remote  forts  surrounding  tribes  had  been  supplied 
with  guns,  ammunition,  food,  and  clothing  until  they  had 
come  to  depend  on  the  white  men  for  their  entire  support. 
But  an  alliance  with  savage  tribes  seemed  to  victorious 
England  of  no  importance,  and  she  withdrew  both  gifts 
and  supplies,  causing  great  want  as  well  as  many  deaths 
among  those  Indians  from  whom  the  benefits  were  with- 
held. "The  English  fur-traders,  too,  were  in  sharp  contrast 
to  the  French,  and  cheated  and  robbed  the  savages,  while 
the  officers  and  soldiers  of  those  garrisons  where  of  old  the 
Indians  had  been  welcome  visitors  now  met  them  with 
blows  and  orders  to  *Be  gone!'  sometimes  emphasized  by 
the  touch  of  a  sentinel's  musket,  a  mark  of  contempt  which 
was  unspeakably  gaUing  to  the  proud  Indian  spirit.  But 
worse  than  this  as  a  cause  for  growing  discontent  among 
the  savages  was  the  invasion  of  settlers,  which  was  espe- 
cially felt  by  those  tribes  whose  lands  bordered  on  the 
English  colonies  and  who  felt  an  ever-growing  resentment 
at  the  encroachments  of  the  white  men. 

All  this  the  French  saw,  and,  believing  that  through  an 
Indian  uprising  they  might   be   able   in  some  measure  to 

1 60 


PONTI AC 

wreak  vengeance  on  tlieir  conquerors,  in  every  way  they 
excited  the  Indians  to  concerted  action  against  the  British. 

Truly  the  mighty  Pontiac  had  well  chosen  his  time  for 
inflaming  the  tribes  to  take  part  in  his  great  conspiracy! 

His  plan  laid  out,  Pontiac's  opening  move  was  to  send  to 
many  tribes,  among  them  the  Ojibwas  of  Mackinaw,  an 
invitation  to  aid  him  in  the  war.  His  messengers,  bearing  the 
war-belt  of  black-and-purple  wampum,  flung  a  hatchet 
painted  red  at  the  feet  of  the  assembled  warriors  of  Macki- 
naw, with  a  speech  which  aroused  the  listeners  to  such  a 
pitch  of  frenzy  that  they  took  up  the  blood-red  hatchet 
and  pledged  themselves  to  join  Pontiac's  war. 

This  decision  was  quickly  followed  by  the  news  that  the 
first  blow  had  been  struck,  which  inflamed  the  Ojibwas  to 
instant  action. 

At  that  time  there  were  in  the  Mackinaw  garrison  about 
thirty  men  and  officers  under  command  of  Captain  Ethering- 
ton,  who  had  been  warned  against  a  possible  Indian  uprising, 
but  had  persistently  refused  to  heed  the  warning,  and  on 
the  birthday  of  the  EngHsh  king  had  relaxed  discipline  to 
such  an  extent  that  even  the  soldiers  were  allowed  special 
license  in  honor  of  the  day. 

In  the  near-by  woods  there  was  a  large  encampment  of 
Ojibwas  with  several  bands  of  Sacs,  and  early  in  the  morning 
some  Ojibwas  went  to  the  fort  to  invite  officers  and  soldiers 
to  a  great  game  oi  baggatazvay,  or  ball,  which  was  to  be  played 
between  the  warriors  and  the  Sacs. 

At  once  the  place  was  deserted  by  more  than  half  its 
inhabitants.  The  gates  of  the  fort  stood  wide  open.  Park- 
man  says,  unarmed  soldiers  were  collected  in  groups  under 
the  shadow  of  the  palisades,  and  among  them  were  a  great 
number  of  Canadians,  as  well  as  many  Indian  squaws 
wrapped  in  blankets. 

l6i 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

Captain  Etherington  and  Lieutenant  Leslie  stood  near 
the  gate  placing  bets  on  the  game,  as  the  captain  had 
promised  the  Ojibwas  that  he  would  wager  on  their  side 
against  the  Sacs.  Indian  chiefs  and  warriors  were  also  among 
the  spectators,  apparently  intent  on  the  game,  but  really 
with  thoughts  otherwise  occupied. 

"On  went  the  game.  Hundreds  of  slender,  agile  figures 
were  running  over  the  plain,  each  nearly  naked,  with  his 
loose  black  hair  flying  in  the  wind,  and  all  carrying  bats 
peculiar  to  the  game.  At  one  moment  the  players  were 
crowded  together,  all  struggling  for  the  ball,  at  the  next 
they  were  scattered  again,  running  over  the  ground,  yelling 
and  shouting  at  the  top  of  their  voices.  Suddenly  the  ball 
was  thrown  high  in  the  air  and  fell  near  the  pickets  of  the 
fort.  Instantly  the  players  ran  toward  the  ball  in  a  whirling, 
yelling,  maddened  crowd,  but  just  as  they  reached  the 
gates  the  shouts  of  sport  changed  into  a  ferocious  war- 
whoop  ! 

"Squaws  threw  back  their  blankets,  showing  guns, 
hatchets,  and  knives,  which  the  players  instantly  seized 
instead  of  their  bats,  and  before  the  bewildered  English 
had  time  to  think  or  act  the  Indians  had  fallen  on  the 
defenseless  garrison,  butchered  fifteen  men,  captured  the 
others,  including  the  commander,  and  carried  off  and 
destroyed  everything  belonging  to  the  Enghsh." 

So  much  for  one  incident  in  Pontiac's  conspiracy.  During 
the  fifteen  days  after  the  massacre  at  Mackinaw  the  great 
chiefs  followers  took  possession  of  Le  Boeuf,  Venango, 
Presque  Isle,  on  or  near  Lake  Erie;  La  Bay,  on  Lake  Michi- 
gan; St.  Josephs,  on  the  river  of  that  name;  Miamis,  on  the 
Miami;  Ouachtanon,  and  Sandusky,  or  every  garrison  in 
the  West  except  three.  Now  Pontiac's  most  powerful  ener- 
gies were  directed  toward  the  taking  of  Detroit,  a  settlement 

162 


PONTIAC'S    ATTACK     ON     DETROIT 


PONTI  AC 

of  about  twenty-five  thousand  people,  including  fur-traders, 
the  ordinary  Canadian  population,  and  a  well-built  fort 
garrisoned  by  about  three  hundred  men,  under  the  command 
of  Major  Gladwyn. 

Despite  current  rumors  of  an  Indian  uprising,  when  Pon- 
tiac  arrived  there  with  his  warriors  they  were  so  intermixed 
with  women  and  children,  and  brought  so  many  commodities 
for  trade,  that  the  major  had  no  suspicion  of  their  purpose. 
The  great  chief  and  his  band  encamped  at  a  little  distance 
from  the  fort,  and  at  once  sent  a  message  to  the  major  that 
he  had  come  to  trade,  and  wished  to  talk  with  him  for  the 
purpose  of  "brightening  up  the  chain  of  peace'*  between 
the  English  and  his  people. 

To  this  the  unsuspicious  major  readily  agreed,  and  set 
the  next  morning  for  the  interview,  giving  no  further  thought 
to  the  matter  until  late  that  evening,  when  an  Indian  woman 
brought  him  a  pair  of  elkskin  moccasins  which  he  had 
ordered. 

Paying  her  for  the  work,  the  major  dismissed  her,  but 
she  hung  around  the  gates  of  the  fort  as  they  were  being 
closed  for  the  night,  refusing  to  say  what  she  wanted  until 
the  major  summoned  her  and  demanded  her  errand.  With 
great  hesitation  she  finally  confessed  that  her  real  errand 
was  to  tell  him  of  an  Indian  plot  against  him.  The  chiefs 
who  were  to  meet  him  in  council  the  next  day,  she  said, 
had  planned  to  murder  him  and  all  the  other  inhabitants 
and  take  the  garrison.  Each  chief,  she  added,  would  have 
a  gun  hidden  under  his  blanket,  and  while  Pontiac  was 
delivering  his  speech  he  was  to  give  a  signal,  at  which  as 
many  warriors  as  possible  should  immediately  gather  within 
the  fort,  all  armed,  under  pretense  of  trading  with  the 
soldiers. 

Major  Gladwyn  heard  this  with  a  mixture  of  astonishment 

163 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

and  incredulity,  but,  gathering  his  men  together,  at  once 
made  every  preparation  to  guard  the  fort  against  a  sudden 
attack — half  of  the  soldiers  were  ordered  under  arms  and 
all  of  the  officers  spent  the  night  on  the  ramparts. 

Parkman  says:  "Again  and  again  Gladwyn  mounted  his 
wooden  ramparts  and  looked  forth  into  the  gloom.  There 
seemed  nothing  but  repose  and  peace  in  the  soft  air  of  the 
warm  spring  evening.  .  .  .  But  at  intervals  as  the  night 
wind  swept  across  the  bastion  it  bore  sounds  of  fearful 
portent,  .  .  .  the  sullen  booming  of  the  Indian  drum  and 
the  wild  chorus  of  quavering  yells,  as  the  warriors  around 
their  distant  camp-fires  danced  the  war-dance  in  preparation 
for  the  morrow's  work;  and  could  the  soldiers  but  have 
stolen  into  the  forest  depths  and  seen  that  which  was  being 
enacted  among  the  savage  tribes  there  gathered  together, 
their  terror  would  have  been  doubly  great." 

The  war-chief,  **his  body  painted  black  from  head  to 
foot,  after  a  lonely  vigil  of  fasting  and  prayer  in  the  deep 
forest  recesses,  suddenly  emerged  from  the  woods  and  stood 
before  his  followers,  who  flocked  around  him  as  he  delivered 
a  wild  harangue,  calling  on  them  to  avenge  the  blood  of 
their  slaughtered  relatives,  to  wipe  the  hated  British  ofi^ 
the  earth.  He  assured  them  that  the  Great  Spirit  was  on 
their  side — that  victory  was  certain.  With  exulting  cries 
they  dispersed  to  their  wigwams  to  don  the  savage  decora- 
tions of  the  war-dress.  An  old  man  now  passed  through 
the  camp  and  invited  the  warriors  to  a  feast,  in  the  name  of 
the  chief,  and  they  gathered  from  all  sides  to  his  wigwam, 
where  they  found  him  seated,  no  longer  covered  with  black 
paint,  but  adorned  with  the  fantastic  and  startling  garb  of 
war-paint.  Those  who  had  joined  in  the  feast  pledged 
themselves  to  follow  him  against  the  enemy,  then,  seating 
themselves  on  the  ground  in  a  circle  around  the  wigwam, 

164 


P  O  N  T  I  A  C 

feasted  on  the  flesh  of  dogs,  while  the  chief,  though  goaded 
by  the  pangs  of  hunger  after  his  long  fast,  sat  smoking  his 
pipe  and  taking  no  part  in  the  repast. 

**Night  had  now  closed  in,  and  the  clearing  was  illumined 
by  the  blaze  of  fires  and  burning  pine-knots,  casting  their 
deep  red  glare  on  the  boughs  of  the  surrounding  forest,  and 
on  the  wild  multitude  who,  fluttering  with  feathers  and  be- 
daubed with  paint,  were  ready  for  the  war-dance. 

"A  painted  post  was  driven  into  the  ground,  and  the 
crowd  formed  a  wide  circle  round  it.  The  chief  leaped  into 
the  vacant  space,  brandishing  his  hatchet  as  if  rushing  upon 
an  enemy,  and  in  loud  voice  related  or  chanted  his  own  ex- 
ploits and  those  of  his  ancestors,  yelling  the  war-whoop, 
throwing  himself  into  all  the  gestures  of  actual  life,  striking 
the  post  as  if  it  were  an  enemy,  and  tearing  the  scalp  from 
the  head  of  an  imaginary  victim.  Warrior  after  warrior 
followed  his  example  until  the  whole  assembly,  as  if  fired 
with  sudden  frenzy,  rushed  together  into  the  ring,  leaping, 
stamping,  and  whooping,  brandishing  knives  and  hatchets 
in  the  firehght,  hacking  and  stabbing  the  air,  and  breaking 
at  intervals  into  a  burst  of  ferocious  yells  which  resounded 
with  hideous  portent*'  in  the  ears  of  the  listening  soldiers 
on  the  bastion  of  the  fort. 

Promptly  at  the  appointed  hour  on  the  following  morning 
Pontiac,  with  thirty-six  chiefs  and  a  train  of  warriors,  arrived 
at  the  fort,  and  as  the  procession  of  Indians  filed  into  the 
council-house  the  Indians  exchanged  glances  of  dismay. 
Every  Englishman  wore  a  sword  at  his  side  and  a  pair  of 
pistols  in  his  belt.  Boldly  Pontiac  asked  Gladwyn,  "Why 
do  I  see  so  many  of  my  father's  young  men  with  their  guns  ?" 

Gladwyn  replied  that  it  was  for  the  sake  of  exercise  and 
disciphne;  and,  partially  satisfied  by  the  explanation,  the 
Indians  seated  themselves  on  the  skins  laid  for  them,  while 

i6s 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

Pontiac  began  his  speech,  but  as  he  came  to  the  place  where 
he  was  to  give  a  signal,  to  his  great  surprise  he  noticed 
Gladwyn  and  his  men  all  quietly  draw  their  swords  half 
out  of  their  scabbards  and  the  soldiers  clutch  their  guns 
firmly.  The  plot  had  been  discovered!  But  Pontiac  was 
equal  to  the  emergency,  and,  calmly  omitting  the  expected 
signal,  closed  his  speech  with  protestations  of  respect  and 
affection  for  the  English. 

Gladwyn  immediately  jumped  to  his  feet  and  charged 
Pontiac  with  treachery,  told  him  he  knew  the  whole  dia- 
bolical plot  —  that  he  was  powerless  to  ensnare  the 
EngHsh. 

Pontiac  straightened  himself  up  to  his  full  height  and, 
folding  his  arms,  denied  the  accusation,  whereupon  the 
major  pulled  aside  the  blanket  of  the  chief  standing  nearest 
him  and  showed  his  gun  hidden,  just  as  the  woman  had 
said  it  would  be. 

Pontiac,  entrapped  and  outwitted,  bowed  his  head  with 
assumed  meekness,  and,  without  unfolding  his  arms,  led 
his  men  from  the  fort.  He  was  checkmated  but  not  dis- 
couraged, and  on  the  next  day,  taking  three  chiefs  with  him, 
he  went  again  to  the  fort,  carrying  the  sacred  calumet,  or 
pipe  of  peace.  Solemnly  he  offered  it  to  Gladwyn,  saying: 
"My  father,  evil  birds  have  sung  lies  in  your  ears.  We 
that  stand  before  you  are  friends  of  the  English.  We  love 
them  as  our  brothers,  and  to  prove  our  love  we  have  come 
this  day  to  smoke  the  pipe  of  peace."  Before  leaving  he 
gave  the  pipe  to  one  of  the  officers  as  a  further  pledge  of 
loyalty,  and  departed  to  consult  with  his  chiefs — wily  com- 
mander that  he  was — on  the  best  method  of  wiping  the 
hated  EngHsh  off  the  face  of  the  earth. 

Again  on  the  following  morning,  accompanied  by  his  chiefs, 
he  demanded  admittance  at  the  fort,  but  this  time  the 

1 66 


PONTI AC 

gates  were  barred.  He  shouted  to  the  sentinel  to  admit 
him,  but  Gladwyn  himself  answered. 

**You  may  enter,"  he  said,  **but  your  followers  must 
remain  outside."  Pontiac  answered  that  he  wished  them 
to  enjoy  with  him  and  the  officers  the  fragrance  of  the  pipe 
of  peace,  but  Gladwyn  was  firm.  *'You  alone  may  enter," 
he  said.    "I  will  not  have  that  rabble  inside  the  fort  again." 

This  infuriated  Pontiac;  and,  striding  away  from  the  fort, 
he  shouted  to  his  followers,  who  at  once  leaped  from  where 
they  were  lying,  out  of  reach  of  gunshot,  and  all  ran  ofF 
yelling  like  demons,  to  work  off  their  rage  against  the 
EngHsh  by  killing  and  scalping  as  many  as  they  could  find 
to  attack.  Pontiac  himself  turned  toward  the  shore,  and, 
Parkman  says,  **No  man  durst  approach  him,  for  he  was 
terrible  in  his  rage."  Jumping  into  a  canoe,  he  paddled  to 
the  Ottawa  settlement  and  shouted  to  its  inmates  to  move 
to  the  west  side  of  the  river,  nearer  the  fort,  that  they  might 
keep  a  sharper  eye  on  the  movements  of  the  garrison.  With 
eager  alacrity  warriors  and  squaws  began  to  carry  out  his 
commands,  and  during  the  night  the  whole  Ottawa  settle- 
ment crossed  the  river,  pitched  their  wigwams  at  the  mouth 
of  Parent's  Creek,  and  at  dawn  a  score  of  the  naked  savages, 
yelHng  like  furies,  attacked  the  fort.  Hot  blazed  their  guns, 
a  clamor  of  wild  noise  filled  the  still  air,  and  a  hail  of  bullets 
rained  against  the  walls  of  the  fort  for  six  hours,  when  the 
Indians  grew  weary  and  went  away;  and  Gladwyn,  believing 
the  affair  ended,  sent  La  Butte,  a  neutral  interpreter,  with 
two  Canadians  to  Pontiac  to  open  peace  negotiations. 

The  mighty  leader,  outwardly  calm  and  suave,  received 
his  visitors  politely,  and  after  a  brief  conference  with  his 
chiefs  requested  that  Major  Campbell,  second  in  command 
at  the  fort,  come  himself  to  confer  about  this  weighty  matter. 

The  message  being  carried  back  to  Campbell,  he  was 

167 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

advised  not  to  undertake  such  a  dangerous  mission,  but, 
despite  that,  at  once  set  off,  taking  with  him  a  Heutenant 
and  several  other  men;  and  v^hen  they  came  near  the  Indian 
encampment  they  were  met  by  a  howHng  mob  of  women 
and  children  armed  with  clubs,  sticks,  and  stones.  Instantly 
Pontiac  strode  forward,  gorgeous  in  head-dress  and  war- 
paint, and  with  an  imperious  gesture  quelled  the  riot,  shook 
hands  with  the  officers,  and  led  the  way  into  camp.  Pausing 
at  the  entrance  to  a  large  lodge,  he  pointed  to  mats  on  the 
ground.  The  officers  seated  themselves,  and  instantly  the 
council-room  was  filled  with  a  throng  of  savages  who  either 
stood  peering  at  the  British  or  crouched  at  the  sides  of  the 
inclosure.  Pontiac  spoke  a  few  words  to  them,  which  were 
followed  by  a  long  pause.  Campbell  then  made  a  speech, 
which  was  received  in  silence,  and  for  a  whole  hour  after- 
ward the  nerve-racked  officers  sat  with  the  throng  of  dark, 
inscrutable  savage  faces  bending  an  unwavering  gaze  on 
them.  At  last  Campbell  could  no  longer  bear  it,  and,  rising, 
he  declared  his  intention  of  returning  to  the  fort.  With 
haughty  imperiousness  Pontiac  waved  him  back  to  his  seat. 
"My  father,''  he  said,  "will  sleep  to-night  in  the  lodges  of 
his  red  children." 

The  British  officers  were  in  the  hands  of  their  enemies! 

Many  of  the  Indians  were  anxious  to  kill  them  on  the  spot; 
but  Pontiac  forbade  this,  and  they  were  taken  to  the  great 
chief's  headquarters  and  comfortably  housed  and  cared  for. 
One  of  them  afterward  escaped;  the  other,  gallant  Major 
Campbell,  was  tomahawked,  and,  an  old  account  says,  "they 
boiled  his  heart  and  ate  it,  and  made  a  pouch  of  the  skin  of 
his  arms,"  which  brutal  deed  was  unsanctioned  by  Pontiac. 

On  the  morning  after  the  arrest  of  the  officers  Pontiac 
crossed  the  river  to  beg  some  of  the  Wyandots,  who  had 
refused  to  take  part  in  the  war,  to  join  his  forces;  and,  as 

i68 


PONTI AC 

he  threatened  them  with  destruction  if  they  remained  neutral 
any  longer,  they  reluctantly  gave  in  and  declared  themselves 
his  allies.  He  then  resumed  operations  with  new  vigor  and 
placed  his  forces  to  better  advantage,  one  band  lying  in 
ambush  along  the  river,  below  the  fort,  while  others  sur- 
rounded it  on  the  land  side,  and,  so  placed,  made  no  further 
attack  on  the  fort  until  the  i  ith  of  May,  when  six  hundred  of 
them  began  a  brisk  firing  which  was  kept  up  until  seven  in 
the  evening,  when  a  Canadian  carried  a  summons  to  Glad- 
wyn  from  Pontiac  demanding  his  surrender.  To  this 
Gladwyn  gave  a  flat  refusal,  and  the  Indians  continued  their 
attacks  day  after  day,  until  their  war-cries  and  the  rattle 
of  their  guns  became  familiar  sounds  to  the  soldiers,  who 
for  many  weeks  slept  in  their  clothing  and  with  their  weapons 
by  their  side. 

The  savages  resorted  to  every  known  device  and  stratagem 
to  rout  the  English  enemy:  at  one  time  they  filled  a  cart 
with  combustibles  and  ran  it  against  the  pickets  to  set 
them  on  fire;  at  another  they  would  have  fired  the  church 
had  not  a  French  priest  told  Pontiac  that  this  would  draw 
down  the  anger  of  God  on  him,  when  they  desisted.  They 
tried  to  cut  down  the  pickets  so  as  to  make  an  opening  in 
the  wall  of  the  fort,  on  discovering  which  Major  Gladwyn 
ordered  his  soldiers  to  help  them  cut,  when  an  opening  was 
quickly  made.  The  Indians  made  a  wild  rush  for  it,  but  a 
cannon  was  instantly  fired  from  the  inside,  and  many  Indians 
were  killed. 

During  the  succeeding  months  the  fort  was  blockaded 
and  its  supplies  cut  off,  which  reduced  the  garrison  to  such 
distress  that,  had  it  not  been  for  provisions  secretly  carried 
to  them  by  an  old  Canadian  under  cover  of  darkness, 
Detroit  would  have  been  destroyed  or  abandoned. 

The  Indians,  too,  were  suffering  for  lack  of  provisions,  and, 

.12  169 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN     BRAVES 

visiting  Canadian  families  along  the  river,  demanded  food, 
threatening  violence  if  it  were  refused;  and  when  it  was  given, 
they  wasted  it  with  characteristic  carelessness.  At  last  in 
despair  the  Canadians  sent  fifteen  men  to  Pontiac  with 
complaints. 

Pontiac  sat  immovable,  his  eyes  cast  on  the  ground,  his 
arms  folded,  listening.  Then  with  a  haughty  toss  of  the 
head  he  addressed  the  chiefs  assembled  from  neighboring 
tribes: 

''Brothers,  we  have  never  wished  to  do  you  harm  nor 
allow  any  to  be  done  you;  but  among  us  there  are  many 
young  men  who,  though  strictly  watched,  find  opportunities 
for  mischief.  It  is  to  revenge  you,  my  brothers.  When  the 
English  insulted  us,  they  insulted  you  also.  ...  I  mean  to 
destroy  the  English  and  leave  not  one  upon  our  lands.  .  .  . 
I  know,  my  brothers,  that  there  are  many  among  you  who 
take  part  with  the  English.  I  am  sorry  for  it,  for  their 
own  sakes,  for  when  our  father  arrives  I  shall  point  them 
out  to  him,  and  they  will  see  whether  they  or  I  have  the  most 
reason  to  be  satisfied  with  the  part  we  have  acted." 

Turning  to  the  Canadians,  he  continued :  *'  It  is  now  seven- 
teen years  since  the  Ojibwas,  with  the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  came 
down  to  destroy  you.  Who  then  defended  you?  Was  it 
not  I  and  my  young  men?  Mickinac,  great  chief  of  all 
these  nations,  said  in  council  that  he  would  carry  to  his  vil- 
lage the  head  of  your  commandant — that  he  would  eat  his 
heart  and  drink  his  blood.  Did  I  not  take  your  part  ?  Did 
I  not  go  to  his  camp  and  say  to  him  that  if  he  wished  to 
kill  the  French  he  must  first  kill  me  and  my  warriors  ?  Did 
I  not  assist  you  in  routing  and  driving  him  away?  And 
now  you  think  that  I  would  turn  my  arms  against  you! 
No,  my  brothers,  I  am  the  same  French  Pontiac  who  assisted 
you  seventeen  years  ago.  ...  I  am  a  Frenchman,  and  I 

170 


PONTI  AC 

wish  to  die  a  Frenchman;  and  now  I  repeat  to  you  that  I 
should  be  avenged.  I  do  not  ask  you  for  aid,  for  it  is  not 
in  your  power  to  give  it.  I  only  ask  for  provisions  for  myself 
and  men.  Yet  if  you  are  inclined  to  assist  me  I  shall  not 
refuse  you.  It  would  please  me,  and  you  yourselves  would 
be  sooner  rid  of  your  troubles,  for  I  promise  you  that  as 
soon  as  the  English  are  driven  out  we  will  go  back  to  our 
village  and  there  await  the  arrival  of  our  French  father. 
You  have  heard  what  I  say:  remain  in  peace,  and  I  will 
watch  that  no  harm  shall  be  done  to  you  either  by  my 
men  or  by  other  Indians." 

Pontiac  had  said  his  say;  at  the  end  of  the  council  he 
took  prompt  measures  to  bring  the  disorders  complained 
of  to  an  end,  and  in  doing  this  showed  a  policy  scarcely 
paralleled  in  the  history  of  his  race.  He  first  forbid  any 
further  outrages,  under  the  severest  penalty;  then  he  visited 
the  homes  of  the  C^mdians,  and,  after  inspecting  the 
property  belonging  to  them,  assigned  to  each  the  share  of 
provisions  they  must  furnish  for  the  support  of  the  Indians. 
These  contributions  were  all  collected  at  one  place,  where 
they  were  distributed  to  the  various  tribes,  under  the  per- 
sonal supervision  of  the  great  chief;  but  what  stamped  him 
as  the  born  commander — the  Indian  Napoleon — was  a  still 
greater  stroke  of  diplomacy.  Anxious  not  to  offend  the 
Canadians,  but,  unable  to  pay  for  the  provisions  he  had 
levied,  he  issued  promissory  notes,  drawn  on  birch-bark 
and  signed  with  the  figure  of  an  otter,  the  totem  of  his  family. 
Under  this  was  drawn  a  picture  of  the  particular  article  for 
which  the  bill  was  good — as  a  gun,  a  bag  of  corn,  a  deer,  a 
hog,  or  a  cow.  These  bills  passed  current  among  the  Cana- 
dians and  Indians  of  the  period,  and  were  faithfully  redeemed 
after  the  war,  an  example  worthy  of  imitation  by  Pontiac's 
modern  successors. 

171 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

Not  an  Ottawa  dared  disobey  the  chiefs  command, 
and  the  Canadians'  property  was  respected  from  that  time. 
Some  young  Wyandots,  however,  still  made  nightly  raids 
on  the  hog-pen  of  an  old  friend  of  Pontiac's,  who,  hearing 
of  this,  himself  crept  out  in  the  darkness  and  surprised  the 
thieves  by  shouting:  "Go  back  to  your  village,  you  Wyandot 
dogs.    If  you  tread  again  on  this  man's  land,  you  shall  die!" 

Abashed,  the  Wyandots  slunk  away,  with  no  thought  of 
disobeying  Pontiac's  command,  although  he  could  claim  no 
legitimate  authority  over  them. 

Weeks  went  by,  and  still  the  Indians  kept  a  keen-eyed 
watch  on  the  fort,  where  officers  and  men  were  eagerly 
awaiting  the  coming  of  a  strong  force  of  regulars,  under 
Major  Cuyler,  sent  for  their  relief.  The  boats  of  this  expedi- 
tion were  known  to  be  approaching,  but,  as  day  succeeded 
day  without  their  arrival,  anxiety  was  felt  at  the  fort,  and 
Gladwyn  despatched  a  vessel  to  Niagara  to  hasten  forward 
the  expected  convoy.  Then  came  a  sudden  lifting  of  gloom 
in  the  garrison,  faces  again  wore  expressions  of  joy  and 
expectancy — the  long-looked-for  vessels  had  been  sighted! 

Parkman  says:  "With  one  accord  the  garrison  broke  into 
three  hearty  cheers,  while  a  cannon  sent  its  loud  voice  of 
defiance  to  the  enemy  and  welcome  to  the  approaching 
friends.  But  suddenly  every  cheek  grew  pale  with  horror. 
Dark,  naked  figures  were  seen  rising  with  wild  gestures  in 
the  boats,  while  in  place  of  the  answering  salute  the  distant 
yells  of  the  war-whoop  fell  faintly  on  their  ears.  The  convoy 
was  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy — the  boats  had  all  been 
taken  and  the  troops  of  the  detachment  under  Major  Cuyler 
slain  or  made  captive!" 

While  the  Enghsh  were  still  overcome  by  this  terrible 
loss,  Pontiac's  forces  had  been  strengthened  by  the  arrival 
of  two  fierce  bands  of  Ojibwas,  making  a  whole  number  of 

172 


PONTI  AC 

eight  hundred  and  twenty  warriors,  who,  encamping  with  a 
great  number  of  squaws  and  children  in  the  fields  and  forests 
near  the  fort,  must  have  made  a  picturesque  and  stirring 
scene. 

For  the  beleaguered  garrison  those  were  days  of  gloom 
and  incessant  attacks,  but  again  came  a  ray  of  hope  on 
the  19th  of  June,  when  the  vessel  which  Gladwyn  had  sent 
to  hasten  Major  Cuyler's  convoy  came  in  sight.  Though 
it  encountered  a  fierce  attack  from  the  Indians  as  it  entered 
the  narrowest  part  of  the  channel,  it  was  able  to  sail  up  to 
the  fort  at  last  and  anchor  quietly,  and  brought  not  only 
men,  ammunition,  and  suppKes  for  the  beleaguered  garrison, 
but  also  the  important  news  that  peace  had  at  last  been  de- 
clared between  France  and  England — that  henceforth  they 
would  be  allies. 

When  this  was  told  Pontiac  he  refused  to  believe  it,  and 
with  new  zest  called  for  a  council  with  the  Canadians,  hoping 
to  gain  them  for  new  allies.  A  motley  throng  of  half-breeds, 
Canadians,  trappers,  and  Indians  wrapped  in  gay  blankets 
and  decorated  with  paint  and  feathers  gathered  at  his  com- 
mand, and  when  they  were  all  seated,  and  pipes  had  been 
passed  from  hand  to  hand,  Pontiac  stood  before  them  and 
flung  a  war-belt  at  the  feet  of  the  Canadians. 

"My  brothers,"  he  exclaimed,  "how  long  will  you  suffer 
this  bad  flesh  to  remain  on  your  lands?  You  call  yourselves 
our  friends,  and  yet  you  assist  the  English  with  provisions 
and  go  about  as  spies  among  our  villages.  This  must  not 
continue.  You  must  either  be  wholly  French  or  wholly 
English.  If  you  are  French,  take  up  the  war-belt  and  hft 
the  hatchet  with  us;  but  if  you  are  EngUsh,  then  we  declare 
war  against  you.  My  brothers,  I  know  this  is  a  hard  thing. 
We  are  all  alike  children  of  our  great  father,  the  King  of 
France,  and  it  is  a  hard  thing  to  fight  among  brethren  for 

173 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

the  sake  of  dogs.    But  there  is  no  choice.    Look  upon  that 
war-belt,  and  let  us  hear  your  answer." 

An  old  Canadian  made  quick  reply.  He  professed  great 
love  for  the  Indians  and  a  strong  desire  to  help  them  in  their 
war,  but,  drawing  out  a  copy  of  the  capitulation  of  Montreal 
and  its  dependencies,  which  included  Detroit,  he  showed  it 
as  an  argument  against  further  alliance  with  the  red  men. 

Mortified,  enraged,  and  baffled,  Pontiac  was  almost  ready 
to  acknowledge  defeat,  when  a  number  of  forest  vagabonds 
took  up  the  war-belt,  declaring  that  they  were  ready  to 
fight  on  his  side.  This  so  cheered  him  that  he  spent  the 
night  feasting  and  dancing  in  honor  of  his  new  allies,  and 
continued  hostilities. 

But  all  his  moves  now  met  with  defeat,  and  the  Wyandots 
and  Pottawottomies  began  to  tire  of  such  an  endless  task 
as  this  siege  was  proving.  Demanding  audience  of  Major 
Gladwyn,  they  begged  for  peace,  which  the  major  thankfully 
granted  on  the  condition  that  all  English  prisoners  in  Indian 
villages  be  surrendered.  This  was  agreed  to,  and  only  the 
Ojibwas  and  Ottawas  remained  to  carry  on  the  siege.  From 
that  time  little  of  importance  happened  at  the  fort  until 
the  end  of  July,  when  Captain  Dalzell  arrived  with  two 
hundred  and  eighty  men,  several  small  cannon,  ammunition, 
and  supplies. 

He  arrived  at  night,  and  after  a  conference  with  Gladwyn 
was  eager  to  go  out  at  once  and  attack  the  Indians.  Gladwyn 
firmly  opposed  this,  but  Dalzell  had  his  way,  and  about 
two  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  gates  of  the  fort  were  thrown 
open  in  silence  and  the  new  detachment  passed  noiselessly 
out,  filing  two  deep  along  the  road,  while  two  large  boats, 
each  with  a  swivel  on  the  bow,  rowed  up  the  river  abreast 
of  the  troops,  with  orders  to  keep  up  with  the  line  of  march, 
cover  a  retreat,  and  carry  off  the  wounded. 

174 


PONTI AC 

**0n  the  men  marched  for  over  a  mile,  to  the  mouth  of 
Parent's  Creek,  since  called  Bloody  Run,  where  the  road 
crossed  the  creek  by  a  wooden  bridge.  Just  beyond  this 
the  land  rose  in  ridges  parallel  to  the  stream,  along  the 
summit  of  which  Pontiac  had  caused  intrenchments  to  be 
made  to  protect  his  former  camp.  Here  were  two  piles  of 
wood,  picket  fences,  and  gardens  belonging  to  neighboring 
Canadians;  and  behind  every  fence  and  intrenchment  and 
woodpile  crouched  Indians,  silent  as  snakes,  listening  to  the 
tramping  of  the  approaching  soldiers.  On  they  came,  and 
the  advance-guards  were  half-way  across  the  bridge  when 
there  was  a  horrible  chorus  of  yells  in  front  of  them,  while 
the  Indians  advanced  and  poured  such  a  hot  fire  of  bullets 
on  them  that  many  fell  at  once."  DalzelFs  ringing  voice 
rallied  them  to  renewed  efforts,  but  in  vain,  and  his  speedy 
death  demoralized  the  whole  force. 

Major  Rogers,  with  twenty  rangers  and  some  regulars, 
took  possession  of  a  house  by  the  roadside,  and,  barricading 
the  windows,  held  the  Indians  at  bay.  Captain  Grant 
hurried  forward  and  took  another  strong  position  by  the 
river,  ordering  the  boats  to  anchor  near  the  house  where 
Rogers  and  his  men  were  and  open  fire  on  the  attacking 
Indians  force.  While  this  was  being  done.  Major  Rogers 
and  his  men  were  able  to  make  the  fort  under  cover  of  dark- 
ness and  the  cannonade,  having  had  fifty-nine  men  killed 
and  wounded,  while  the  Indians  escaped  with  a  compara- 
tively small  loss — a  striking  example  of  Pontiac's  ability  as 
a  commander. 

The  Indians  were  so  elated  by  this  victory  that  runners 
were  sent  out  for  several  hundred  miles  through  the  woods 
to  spread  the  tidings,  and  reinforcements  soon  began  to 
come  in  to  swell  the  force  of  Pontiac;  but  even  so  it  was 
not  doubted  that  the  English  would  succeed  in  defending 

175 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

the  fort,  and  the  days  passed  with  only  a  few  skirmishes 
until  the  4th  of  September. 

Then  the  schooner  Gladwyn  was  returning  from  Niagara, 
having  on  board  her  master,  her  mate,  and  a  crew  of  ten 
men,  besides  six  Iroquois  Indians,  supposed  to  be  friendly 
to  the  English.  On  the  night  of  September  3rd  she  sailed 
into  the  Detroit  River,  and  in  the  morning  the  Indians  asked 
to  be  set  on  shore. 

The  request  having  been  foolishly  granted,  they  disap- 
peared in  the  woods,  and,  seeking  Pontiac,  reported  the  small 
crew  of  the  Gladwyn.  Parkman  says:  "The  vessel  stood 
up  the  river  until  nightfall,  when,  the  wind  failing,  she  was 
compelled  to  anchor  about  nine  miles  below  the  fort.  .  .  . 
The  night  set  in  with  darkness  so  complete  that  at  the  dis- 
tance of  a  few  rods  nothing  could  be  discerned.  Meanwhile 
three  hundred  and  fifty  Indians  in  their  birch  canoes  glided 
silently  down  with  the  current  and  were  close  upon  the  vessel 
before  they  were  seen. 

"  There  was  only  time  to  fire  a  single  cannon-shot  among 
them  before  they  were  beneath  her  bows  and  clambering 
up  her  sides,  holding  their  knives  clenched  fast  between 
their  teeth.  The  crew  gave  them  a  close  fire  of  musketry 
without  any  effect;  then,  flinging  down  their  guns,  they 
seized  the  spears  and  hatchets  and  met  the  assailants  with 
such  furious  energy  and  courage  that  in  a  couple  of  minutes 
they  had  killed  and  wounded  more  than  twice  their  own 
number.  But  the  Indians  were  only  checked  for  a  mo- 
ment. The  master  of  the  vessel  was  killed,  several  of 
the  crew  were  disabled,  and  the  Indians  were  leaping 
over  the  bulwarks  when  the  mate  called  out,  '  Blow  up  the 
schooner!' 

'*  This  desperate  command  saved  her  and  her  crew.  Some 
Wyandots  who  had  gained  her  deck  caught  the  meaning 

17^ 


PONTI AC 

of  his  words  and  gave  the  alarm  to  their  companions. 
Instantly  every  Indian  leaped  overboard  in  a  panic,  and  the 
whole  were  seen  diving  and  swimming  ofF  in  all  directions 
to  escape  the  threatened  explosion.  The  schooner  was 
cleared  of  her  assailants,  who  did  not  dare  to  renew  the 
attack,  and  on  the  following  morning  she  sailed  for  the  fort, 
which  she  reached  without  molestation.  Only  six  of  her 
crew  re-escaped  unhurt,  and  their  appearance  was  enough 
to  convince  every  one  of  their  bravery,  they  being  as  bloody 
as  butchers,  and  their  bayonets,  spears,  and  cutlasses  blood 
up  to  the  hilt.'' 

Cuyler's  disastrous  expedition  and  the  Bloody  Run  fatal- 
ity,  added  to  the  fact  that  nine  out  of  the  twelve  frontier 
posts  had  been  captured  by  Pontiac's  forces,  now  led  Sir 
Jeffrey  Amherst,  commander-in-chief  of  the  English  army, 
to  the  conclusion  that  it  was  time  to  use  drastic  measures 
to  bring  about  the  subjection  of  the  Indians,  and  he  sent 
two  armies  into  the  Indian  country — one  under  Colonel  Bou- 
quet to  Fort  Pitt,  the  other  under  Colonel  Bradstreet  up 
the  lakes  to  Detroit — which  he  was  commanded  to  force  into 
unconditional  subjection. 

Colonel  Bouquet,  after  a  two  days'  battle  at  Bushy  Run, 
reduced  the  red  men  to  beg  for  peace,  which  news  was 
immediately  carried  to  Pontiac,  together  with  the  report  that 
Colonel  Bradstreet  was  coming  to  Detroit  with  three  thou- 
sand men.  Only  too  well  the  great  conspirator  knew  that 
now  he  would  not  be  able  to  hold  out  much  longer  against 
the  hated  white  men  and  their  iron  grasp,  as  many  of  his 
former  allies  were  deserting  him  and  French  assistance  was 
becoming  a  dream. 

Long  and  deeply  Pontiac  pondered  on  the  situation,  and, 
as  a  result  of  his  meditation,  before  Bradstreet  had  time  to 
reach  Detroit  the  mighty  leader  and  his  Ottawas  abandoned 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

the  siege  temporarily  and  retreated  to  camp  on  the  Maumee, 
in  the  Illinois  country. 

Pontiac's  view  of  the  situation  was  correct;  his  power 
was  broken.  On  his  way  to  Detroit,  Bradstreet  stopped 
at  Niagara  to  meet  Sir  William  Johnson  and  hold  a  council 
with  two  thousand  Indians  of  twenty-two  tribes,  all  of 
whom  now  showed  a  desire  to  make  peace  with  the  English 
and  denied  connection  with  Pontiac's  conspiracy.  Well 
satisfied,  Bradstreet  journeyed  on  to  Detroit.  Pontiac  had 
fled,  but  his  remaining  allies  at  once  made  a  treaty  of  peace, 
and  the  siege  which  had  been  kept  up  for  over  fifteen  months 
was  ended.  But  Pontiac  refused  to  be  concerned  in  the 
treaty,  and  sent  word  that  **When  he  made  peace  it  should 
be  such  a  one  as  would  be  useful  and  honorable  to  himself 
and  to  the  King  of  Great  Britain.  But  he  has  not  as  yet 
proposed  his  terms T' 

In  his  camp  on  the  Maumee  the  great  leader  now  decided 
on  a  last  desperate  struggle  against  the  English.  He  would 
rally  the  western  tribes  of  Illinois  and  Indiana  into  a  new 
confederation  to  resist  the  English  invaders  if  they  attempted 
to  advance  into  the  Illinois  country. 

Visiting  M.  Neyon,  commandant  at  the  fort,  Pontiac 
laid  before  him  a  large  belt  of  wampum.  "My  father," 
he  said,  "I  come  to  invite  you  and  your  allies  to  go  to  war 
with  me  against  the  English." 

In  reply  Neyon  asked  him  if  he  had  not  received  his 
letter  of  the  last  autumn,  telling  him  that  henceforth  the 
French  and  English  nations  were  to  be  as  one  people. 
Pontiac  apparently  did  not  hear,  and  again  urged  Neyon  to 
go  to  war  with  him,  whereupon  Neyon  lost  patience  with 
him,  and,  kicking  the  belt  away  from  his  feet,  asked  angrily 
if  Pontiac  were  deaf. 

With  one  long,  inscrutable  glance  of  scorn,  Pontiac  turn«d 

178 


PONTI AC 

away  in  silence  and  returned  to  the  Maumee,  where  he 
remained  until  late  autumn. 

Then  once  more  he  started  out  with  his  four  hundred 
faithful  warriors,  all  glittering  in  wonderful  head-dresses 
and  brilliant  with  war  decorations.  Crossing  the  Wabash, 
they  went  from  village  to  village  among  the  Kickapoos  and 
the  three  tribes  of  the  Miamis,  rousing  in  them  a  reflection 
of  Pontiac's  own  spirit  of  fierce  rebellion  and  resistance. 
Then  by  rapid  marches  they  crossed  to  the  banks  of  the 
Mississippi,  and  Pontiac  called  together  the  four  tribes  of  the 
lUinois  in  a  general  council.  But  these  tribes  showed  no 
interest  either  in  warfare  or  in  assisting  him,  and  he  stood 
before  them  quivering  with  anger,  exclaiming,  "If  you  hesi- 
tate, I  will  consume  your  tribe  as  a  fire  consumes  the  dry 
grass  on  the  prairie!" 

So  terrible  was  he  in  his  anger  that  the  Illinois,  as  one 
man,  instantly  declared  their  loyalty  to  his  cause,  hiding 
their  venom  at  his  words  with  true  Indian  concealment; 
and  Pontiac  departed  content. 

He  next  went  to  Fort  Chartres,  where  Saint-Ange,  com- 
mander-in-chief, heard  his  request  for  arms,  ammunition, 
and  troops  with  courtesy,  but  firmly  refused  to  grant  the 
request.  This  so  angered  Pontiac  that  he  commanded  his 
warriors  to  pitch  their  tents  directly  outside  of  the  fort,  to 
worry  the  French  with  constant  symptoms  of  an  attack, 
while  he  was  having  his  squaws  hurriedly  make  a  belt  of 
wampum  six  feet  long  and  four  inches  wide,  worked  from 
end  to  end  with  the  symbols  of  the  various  tribes  and  villages 
still  belonging  to  his  alliance.  Then,  picking  out  his  finest 
warriors,  he  gave  them  the  belt  to  carry  down  the  Mississippi, 
and  display  at  every  Indian  village  along  the  river-banks, 
urging  the  tribes  in  the  name  of  the  mighty  Pontiac  to  closely 
watch  the  movement  of  the  English  and  repel  any  attempt 

179 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

they  might  make  to  ascend  the  river.  This  done,  the 
ambassadors  were  to  go  to  New  Orleans  and  demand  of  its 
governor  the  aid  which  Saint-Ange  had  refused;  but  all 
attempts  to  rally  his  forces  to  victory  against  the  hated 
enemy  failed. 

His  ambassadors  came  back  from  the  country  east  of  the 
Mississippi  with  the  report  that  France  had  transferred  her 
remaining  American  possessions  to  Spain,  and  all  hope  of 
aid  in  that  quarter  was  dashed. 

To  this  report  was  added  news  of  failure  all  along  the  line 
of  march;  Pontiac's  followers  were  now  daily  dropping 
off  from  their  allegiance. 

Parkman  says:  "In  the  South  lay  the  Cherokees,  heredi- 
tary enemies  of  his  people;  in  the  West  were  the  Osages  and 
Missouris,  treacherous  and  uncertain  friends,  and  the  fierce 
and  jealous  Dakotas.  In  the  East  the  forests  would  soon 
be  full  of  English  traders  and  beset  with  English  troops; 
while  in  the  North  his  own  village  of  Detroit  lay  beneath 
the  guns  of  the  victorious  garrison. 

"  Pontiac's  mighty  plan,  the  work  of  a  master  mind,  had 
failed.  The  arch-conspirator  might  have  now  sought  refuge 
in  a  still  more  remote  wilderness  of  the  upper  lakes,  but 
this  would  have  doomed  his  aspiring  spirit  to  a  life  of  unam- 
bitious exile.  In  a  night  of  gloomy  brooding  he  determined 
now  to  smoke  the  calumet  with  his  triumphant  enemies, 
though  the  fire  of  hatred  in  his  heart  was  still  a  blood-red  flame. 

"His  stormy  spirit  had  warred  with  destiny,  and  had 
been  conquered."  There  had  remained  for  him  two  alterna- 
tives: to  be  destroyed  by  the  hand  of  the  enemy  or  to  sub- 
mit to  their  decree.  Hot  with  anger>  he  had  chosen  the  latter, 
and  started  for  Fort  Quiatenon,  on  the  Wabash,  to  meet 
George  Croghan,  an  English  commissioner,  to  whom  he 
must  formally  tender  the  traditional  pipe  of  peace. 

l8o 


PONTI  AC 

In  a  forest  near  the  fort,  Croghan's  forces  met  the  long 
train  of  warriors  headed  by  the  great  Pontiac.  Fear  was 
visible  on  every  English  face,  but  Pontiac  calmly  advanced 
and  held  out  his  hand  to  Croghan,  and  the  two  forces 
marched  on  together  to  the  fort,  where  Pontiac  not  only 
offered  the  calumet  and  belt  of  peace,  but  declared  friendship 
for  the  English. 

Then,  in  Croghan's  company,  Pontiac  and  his  followers 
marched  on  to  Detroit,  which  they  reached  on  the  17th 
of  August.  There  was,  as  in  the  days  of  Pontiac's  siege, 
a  great  gathering  of  Ottawas,  Ojibwas,  and  Pottawotto- 
mies  around  the  fort,  but  now  all  were  as  eager  to  become 
alHes  of  the  English  as  they  had  before  been  anxious  to 
wage  war  against  them — for  they  saw  clearly  that  there  was 
nothing  further  to  be  gained  by  loyalty  to  France  or  to  Pontiac. 

For  ten  days  the  bands  of  Indians  and  Croghan's  men 
remained  together  without  any  new  agreement;  then  Croghan 
called  a  meeting  of  the  assembled  tribes  and  spoke  to  them, 
using  the  figurative  language  of  the  Indian.  "Children," 
he  said,  ''we  are  very  glad  to  see  so  many  of  you  here 
present  at  your  ancient  council-fire,  which  has  been  neglected 
for  some  time  past;  since  then  high  winds  have  blown  and 
raised  heavy  clouds  over  your  country.  I  now,  by  this 
belt,  rekindle  your  ancient  fire  and  throw  dry  wood  upon 
it,  that  the  blaze  may  ascend  to  heaven,  so  that  all  nations 
may  see  it  and  know  that  you  live  in  peace  and  tranquillity 
with  your  fathers,  the  Enghsh. 

"Children,  by  this  belt  I  gather  up  all  the  bones  of  your 
deceased  friends  and  bury  them  deep  in  the  ground,  that 
the  buds  and  sweet  flowers  of  the  earth  may  grow  over  them, 
that  we  may  not  see  them  any  more. 

"Children,  with  this  belt  I  take  the  hatchet  out  of  your 
hand  and  pluck  up  a  large  tree,  and  bury  it  deep,  so  that 

181 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

it  may  never  be  found  any  more;  and  I  plant  the  tree  of 
peace,  w^hich  all  our  children  may  sit  under  and  smoke  in 
peace  with  their  fathers. 

"Children,  we  have  made  a  road  from  the  sunrising  to 
the  sunsetting.  I  desire  that  you  will  preserve  that  road 
good  and  pleasant  to  travel  upon,  that  we  may  all  share 
the  blessings  of  this  happy  union. 

"By  this  belt  I  disperse  all  the  black  clouds  from  over 
your  heads,  that  the  sun  may  shine  clear  on  your  women 
and  children,  that  those  unborn  may  enjoy  the  blessings 
of  this  general  peace,  now  so  happily  settled  between  your 
fathers  the  English  and  you,  and  all  your  younger  brethren, 
to  the  sunsetting." 

To  this  speech,  with  all  its  suggestive  allusions,  Pontiac 
listened  with  folded  arms  and  inscrutable  calm,  and  doubt- 
less pondered  on  it  in  the  hours  of  the  night.  The  next  day 
he  made  this  response  at  a  great  gathering  of  English  and 
Indians. 

"Father,"  he  said,  "we  have  all  smoked  the  pipe  of  peace. 
It  is  your  children's  pipe;  and  as  the  war  is  all  over,  and  the 
Great  Spirit  and  Giver  of  Light,  who  has  made  the  earth 
and  everything  therein,  has  brought  us  together  this  day 
for  our  mutual  good,  I  declare  to  all  nations  that  I  have 
settled  my  peace  with  you  before  I  came  here,  and  now 
deliver  my  pipe  to  be  sent  to  Sir  William  Johnson,  that  he 
may  know  I  have  made  peace  and  taken  the  King  of  England 
for  my  father,  in  presence  of  all  the  nations  now  assembled; 
and  whenever  any  of  those  nations  go  to  visit  him  they 
may  smoke  out  of  it  with  him  in  peace.  Fathers,  we  are 
obliged  to  you  for  lighting  up  our  old  council-fire  for  us 
and  desiring  us  to  return  to  it;  but  we  are  now  settled  on 
the  Miami  River,  not  far  from  hence;  whenever  you  want 
us,  you  will  find  us  there." 

182 


PONTI AC 

In  the  council-hall,  where  Pontiac  and  his  warriors  had 
once  attempted  to  destroy  the  garrison,  the  terms  of  peace 
were  now  formally  arranged  and  ratified  by  representatives 
for  the  Ojibwas  and  Pottawottomies;  and  Pontiac,  in  accord- 
ance with  his  pledged  word,  a  few  months  later  visited  Sir 
William  Johnson  at  his  castle  on  the  Mohawk,  and  on 
behalf  of  all  the  tribes  lately  banded  together  in  his  con- 
federation concluded  a  treaty  of  peace  with  the  English 
in  these  words: 

"Father,  when  our  great  father  of  France  was  in  this 
country  I  held  him  fast  by  the  hand.  Now  that  he  is  gone, 
I  take  you,  my  English  father,  by  the  hand,  in  the  name 
of  all  the  nations  and  promise  to  keep  this  covenant  as  long 
as  I  shall  live.  ..." 

Here  he  delivered  a  large  belt  of  wampum,  adding: 

"Father,  when  you  address  me  it  is  the  same  as  if  you 
address  all  the  nations  of  the  West.  Father,  this  belt  is  to 
cover  and  strengthen  our  chain  of  friendship,  and  to  show 
you  that  if  any  nation  shall  lift  the  hatchet  against  our 
English  brethren  we  shall  be  the  first  to  feel  and  re- 
sent it." 

This  speech  he  followed  by  a  promise  to  recall  the  war- 
belts  which  had  been  sent  to  the  North  and  West.  Then 
other  chiefs  addressed  the  Western  nations,  urging  them  to 
hold  fast  the  bond  of  friendship,  and  the  council  closed  with 
a  lavish  distribution  of  presents  to  Pontiac  and  his  warriors. 
Thus  ended  the  memorable  meeting  in  which  the  great 
Pontiac  sealed  his  submission  to  the  English  and  gave  up 
the  fulfilment  of  that  conspiracy  which  had  been  his  cher- 
ished ideal. 

A  mighty  leader  of  his  nation  was  he,  this  Indian  Napo- 
leon: his  vices  were  those  of  his  people;  his  virtues  those  of 
the  best  minds  of  the  white  race;  and  in  his  conspiracy  there 

183 


BOOK    OF    INDIAN    BRAVES 

was  a  breadth  of  purpose  never  exceeded  among  savage 
tribes. 

Though  slain  by  one  of  his  own  race  in  a  spirit  of  fierce 
revenge  for  injuries  received  in  earlier  days;  though  baffled 
in  his  purpose  and  unsuccessful  in  his  daring  achievement, 
yet  is  the  name  of  the  great  Pontiac  one  still  to  conjure 
with  among  white  leaders  and  Indian  devotees. 


THE   END 


I 


RETURN  TO  the  circulation  desk  of  any 
University  of  California  Library 
or  to  the 

NORTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 
BIdg.  400,  Richmond  Field  Station 
University  of  California 
Richmond,  CA  94804-4698 


ALL  BOOKS  MAY  BE  RECALLED  AFTER  7  DAYS 
2-month  loans  may  be  renewed  by  calling 

(510)642-6753 
1-year  loans  may  be  recharged  by  bringing  books 

to  NRLF 
Renewals  and  recharges  may  be  made  4  days 

prior  to  due  date 

DUE  AS  STAMPED  BELOW 


APR  14 1993 


liEC.«KIFF!TI  OCT  18 '94 


AUTODlSCClRCpnTlQ'o/! 


JAN  021 


R^rwiy]. 


-»^ 


i^iC  U  1  1995 


^'^^JUN  2  0  1999 


LD2lA-50m-2,'71 
(P2001sl0)476 — A-32 


General  Library 

University  of  California 

Berkeley 


J_ 


M541570 


5F7 
5f 


